I Need A Hero

GOD’S CHOSEN HUSBAND AND FATHER

There is a song from my high school days called, “I Need a Hero” that asks the question women have asked through the ages:  Where have all the good men gone?

The song goes on to list the qualities of this hero that so many women are looking for: a white night, strong, fast, fresh from the fight, sure, larger than life, a super-man.

I see so many single mothers searching and longing for this hero to sweep her and her children off her feet, to rescue her. My question is, what is it that we SHOULD be looking for in a man? What are the qualities that are important to our Heavenly Father that should be important to us.

This year as I began reading the story of the conception and birth of Jesus, I realized that God the Father has given us the qualities that are important to HIM. He has shown us the kind of man that He looks to, a man that He chose to raise His Son, Jesus.  It would do us good to pay attention to the Lord’s leadership in this arena of life…What are those qualities that are so important to our Father in heaven?

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
God’s Hero

• He was righteous: he obeyed the Law, and in that day it meant that marrying a woman who had slept with someone gave him the right to have Mary stoned, or publicly humiliated. He knew the Law BUT mercy triumphs over judgement:
• He was merciful: Even though legally he had rights to add shame and reproach to Mary, he didn’t want to. He did not want to humiliate or disgrace her. He wanted to honor her even when she had dishonored him (or so he thought…she apparently did not tell him that she had conceived of the Holy Spirit…or if she did he did not believe her because he was still going to send her away) 
• He was obedient to the Lord’s direction: He obeyed God! He believed God! No questions asked (remember Zacharias and his questions and what it cost him)
• He had self control and chose to exercise it to honor Mary: This is a BIG ONE…He did not sleep with her, he had every right to consummate the marriage, but he chose to keep Mary a virgin until she gave birth. The angel didn’t tell him to, this was a choice he made

God honored Joseph’s integrity by entrusting him with a great responsibility. God is our Heavenly Father, He is the Father of Lights. As daughters, it would be wise for us to pay attention to the qualities of the men that God puts His stamp of approval on.
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What does your list for the ‘dream man’ look like? Does it include these qualities that are so important to the Father?

By Misty Honnold