Mary’s had quite a year, to put it mildly. “What do I do first? How will I take care of this child? What if I mess it all up?” And Mary’s first child was God incarnate. All of us who are moms remember the weightiness, and sometimes, panic, of holding our first baby. And to top it all off, lying in her arms was a brand new, precious baby- her first. Before she was anywhere near ready for visitors, the shepherds arrived and regaled the little family with their fantastic story of a sky full of angels proclaiming the birth of the Savior to them.Next on the agenda was a long, uncomfortable trip to Bethlehem and the pain and danger that came with first century childbirth.A visit to Elizabeth’s house yielded even more amazement as Mary’s cousin related her own incredible pregnancy story. How did Mary’s friends, loved ones, and community react to her pregnancy? Did she have to endure long months of whispers, stares, and gossip? Was she in danger of stoning or other punishment as prescribed by Levitical law?.But God sent another angel and reassured him personally. Incredulous, his first thought was to obtain a quiet divorce. Next to hear the news was her betrothed, Joseph.Were they godly people of faith, as quick to believe as Mary had been? Or, did Mary fear they might be skeptical and shocked? At some point Mary had to break the news to her parents that she was pregnant.She would be the only woman ever to conceive by the Holy Spirit. Mary was going to be the mother of God’s promised Messiah. After 400 years of silence from God, between the close of the Old Testament and, now, the opening of the New, an angel showed up – a staggering event in and of itself – and brought her a nearly incomprehensible message.Think about all Mary had been through in the last few months… Luke 2:19 finds Mary, Joseph, and Jesus alone in the stable, at the culmination of a whirlwind of mind-boggling events. Christmas is a time for pondering, and no one knew that better than Mary. It isn’t a word we use very often, is it? I t means to spend some time in reflection, considering, thinking deeply about things. Lord, give me the openness to accept your will and the courage to let go of the things I don’t understand.īy Melinda Fish from an article in the NIV Recovery Devotional Bible.Ponder. And her willingness to let go and entrust the growth of her son to God provides an example for all of us who are parents. Mary’s simple, open acceptance of God’s will serves as a model for all of us who think we can control our own lives. Or when life throws us a curve ball, we blame others or God and ask, “Why me?” instead of “going with the flow” and trusting God’s good purposes. Or when something good happens in our lives, rather than treasure and celebrate it, we tend to dismiss it with negative self-talk. God has offered us many promises in the Bible, yet we sometimes find it so difficult to believe he means what he says. How often we can stumble in all three areas.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |