🌙 Still awake?
Every evening, a little closer to Jesus.
📅 July 18, 2026
🤍 The Heart of a Righteous Man
📖 Matthew 1:18–19
“But Joseph, her husband, was righteous and did not want to expose her publicly, so he intended to divorce her quietly.”
Matthew 1:19
What does it actually mean to be righteous?
Many people think of someone who never makes mistakes.
But Joseph shows us something different.
When he learns that Mary is pregnant, he does not understand the situation.
He is hurt.
Disappointed.
Confused.
And yet he chooses not to take revenge.
He does not want to expose Mary publicly.
Not because he does not care.
But because his heart is shaped by mercy.
That touches me.
Because in a world where people are quick to judge, speak badly about others, or shame them publicly, Joseph chooses a different path.
He chooses love.
Respect.
Dignity.
Perhaps you know what that feels like.
Someone has disappointed you.
Someone has hurt you.
What do you do then?
Do you pay them back?
Or do you act in a way that makes Jesus visible in your heart?
Righteousness does not begin only with what we do.
It begins in the heart.
And that is exactly where God wants to work.
💭 Think about it
How do you treat people who have disappointed you?
🙏 Prayer
Dear Father,
give me a heart like Joseph’s.
Keep me from judging others too quickly or speaking badly about them.
Help me to be merciful, just as you are merciful to me.
Let my behavior show that I belong to Jesus.
Amen.
🌙 Sleep well.
Your loving Father sees not only what you do.
He sees your heart.
See you tomorrow.
