Luke 1:26-38
Today, we are taking a look at Mary, at the point when God visits her to tell her the most exciting, and yet most frightening, news of her life. He gives her the news that she will give birth to the Savior of the World! Wow! Talk about a shocking revelation!
Luke tells us at the beginning of the story that Mary was afraid, though who can blame her? She, a young woman, who had never given birth before, engaged to be married, has just had an angel appear before her, and tell her that she will give birth to The Christ, the Savior of the world! She must have had all sorts of questions running through her head – What does this mean for my marriage? What will people think of me? What will my family think of me? She would be experiencing thoughts of doubt, uncertainty, fear, etc. How could she do this?
But the angel assures her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." It would be very easy for Mary to get upset and start questioning God at this point, but she just seems to take it all in. The only question she asks is, "How can this be?" The Angel's reply in a nutshell: "With God nothing is impossible." God is telling her, "Do not be afraid, for this is a sure thing, and I will be with you; you just need to trust me and rely on me." You see, this is coming from God, who created the Earth and everything in it; she can surely know that nothing is impossible with Him.
How many times has God given us direction in our lives, but we drown out His call with our incessant doubting questions, fears, cries, and ignorance. We cannot hear God's call if we don't listen. God assures us that He has a plan; He is in control; He will give us the strength; and He will guide us along the way—all He wants from us is a willing vessel, who will allow Him to have control of our lives. Listen to God's call today, surrender to His call, and know that He will be there to lead and guide, for it is a sure thing. Only in this surrender can we truly let God's love grow in us, so that we can go forth in His will!
~ Eric Frantz
