“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[a] 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.”—Luke 1:30-38

God chose Mary to give birth to His Son. Because of the times, women were betrothed to be married at a young age. Some say she was anywhere from 12-14 years of age. She was an ordinary teenage Jewish girl. She came from a humble background without any special social standing or wealth. However what Mary did have was knowledge of the scripture and an unwavering faith to trust God despite her outward circumstances. It opened her eyes to see things through God’s lens. Even though her reputation was at stake, she said, Yes to God by accepting the angel’s message to her. Maybe the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel,” was brought to her mind?

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.”—Matthew 1:19-20 (ESV) According to this text, Mary and Joseph must have been married because Joseph was planning on divorcing her for the pregnancy. Adultery in those days was grounds for death. Quietly divorcing a pregnant wife would not have made her child illegitimate. However, after the angel came to Joseph, he was also obedient. Praise God that they both choose to reject fear and were able to become a part of God’s eternal plan. I want to know and believe God’s Word as they did.

In Luke 1:35, the angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God (NLT). When we invite Christ to come to live in our hearts, like Mary, the Holy Spirit comes upon us too. Jesus was not just born for Joseph and Mary but for each of us too.

Here we are over 2000 year later able to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior because of Mary’s Yes. Even though Mary didn’t know what tomorrow held for her, She trusted her faithful God. He reassured her that He was with her and to not be fearful. What you trust in will break your spirit of fear. Can you trust in your Lord and Savior as Mary did?

Where is God calling you to say, Yes? Are you hesitating to take that next step? Just like God saw Mary’s potential, He sees yours too. He knows who you can become when you follow where He is leading you. God is with you. He will not abandon you, when you are living out your calling for Him.

Dear Lord,

I ask for a willing heart such as Mary’s. Thank You for using her as a vessel to send Your precious Son into the world to rescue and deliver not just me but all who believe in Him. Forgive me when my faith waivers. Help me to view life’s circumstances through Your lens and not my limited perspective. I ask for courage to take the next step to where You are leading me for this upcoming year. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray these things. Amen

December Memory Verse

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”—Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

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