Psalm 143 ~ Your steadfast love

Psalm 143

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.

3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.

5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge!
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.


This Psalm reminds me of one a father would pray. It would have been the type of prayer Joseph might have prayed.

Did Jesus look like Joseph? God did promise David Jesus would be his son.

What do we know about Joseph, the Foster Father of Jesus, who by the blessing of the Holy Spirit linked Jesus to the house of David? It would be difficult to know if Jesus and Joseph looked alike, but what type of Father was Joseph? Jesus' hometown was given a biblical say:

Matthew 13:55-56
"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

Mark records this somewhat differently & implies Jesus learned Joseph's trade.

Mark 6:3
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Joseph has been given a tradition of being the old duffer who was passed over, but c'mon this Child was/is precious to God. There are a lot of blended families today, God's Child heads the list.

Was Joseph thrilled to find out about the blessed event.... we know he wasn't. Joseph was an innocent, good man who saw wickedness (initial voices told him) ruining his life plans forever. Joseph was being called to have his betrothed stoned to death. Joseph instead, because of his compassion to Mary, received Divine Guidance. Joseph's actions are of a man who left his own plans behind and moved for the sake of his child & his wife. He left his town of Nazareth, for the years they went into hiding in Egypt, returning only when it was safe. God gave Jesus a family in Matthew 1, but in Matthew 13, we can tell Joseph gave Jesus his family.

Did Jesus look like Joseph? It is important. Yes, we see in Matthew 13:55, Joseph looked like Jesus.



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