Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. [1]
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What is striking about Mary’s reaction to the angel’s announcement – in contrast to Zechariah – is her trust, even though she did not understand. The angel’s announcement to her was even more extreme than what he had announced to Zechariah, and although she had a question, it came from a standpoint of faith.
God calls us to trust Him even when we do not understand, even when we still have questions that are unanswered, even when the path ahead is unclear. This is true when it concerns a promise, as in this case. It is also true regarding following Him in obedience
Sometimes following God’s way isn’t expedient or easy: Forgiving the undeserving. Turning the other cheek. Radical generosity. Worshiping when we don’t feel like it. Spending time in the Word when we would rather be doing something else. Showing kindness to a stranger. Showing kindness to someone who has been unkind to us. Faith leads us to trust that God’s way is best, because above all, it honors Him and proclaims His character and love to the world.
So my prayer today is for the Spirit to bless my faith, that all I undertake today would flow from trust in the God who has called me.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Lk 1:26–38). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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