Joseph faced very uncertain days. Nobody would trust his word – not his family, not his clients, not his neighbours. He knew that his wife would be talked about, his son would be talked about, and how this would play out was uncertain. And the visit from the angel technically didn’t change that at all. Yes, he knew how she was pregnant. He knew who this child was, but who would ever believe the “miracle child” explanation?

Joseph did not face an uncertain future with faith because God promised to make everything easy. He faced an uncertain future with faith because He trusted God’s bigger plan. Somehow this little baby was to be the Saviour of His people from their sins. Somehow this little baby was God with us. And if God’s bigger plan involves a combination of God with us and a Saviour from our sins, then surely God will work out the future in all its details. He may not fix everything instantly, but if God is that kind of God, surely He should be trusted.

We face uncertainty. A big part of that is the mess of sin, both ours and that of other people. We don’t know how it will play out, nor that everything will be easy. But we can trust God. Why? Because of Jesus – the Lord saves, Immanuel – God with us.