“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33, NLT)
“Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.’” (Luke 1:46-50, NLT)
Mary was an ordinary girl who found herself in an unexplainable position. One day she was engaged to be married, and the next thing she knew, an angel was announcing that she would become mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
When Gabriel declared God’s astounding message, he did not ask Mary to be the mother of God’s son; he decreed it as though it would be. “You WILL be with child … He WILL be great … his kingdom WILL never end.” Just as certain and sure God was of Jesus’ future greatness and kingdom, He was certain and sure that Mary would be his mother.
God chose Mary. Period.
Sometimes we view Gabriel’s visit to Mary as the great interruption; her life was flipped upside down (and maybe even ‘ruined’) from that point forward. I believe that in reality, it was one of the greatest days of her life! It was the day that she was chosen for something greater than herself. It was the day that God’s dream for her became a reality.
The Lord invited Mary on an adventure bigger than anything she could hope for. And she said yes.
Was there risk? Definitely.
Was there danger? Undoubtedly.
Would everything change? Entirely.
Yet the perils of this call could not deter Mary’s brave and trusting heart. She believed this message and surrendered herself to God’s plan.
Thus began her plight … or so we often think.
Mary said that all generations to come would call her blessed. While honor and respect for Mary are widespread, we often view her predicament as a burden, not a blessing. We treat her unexpected pregnancy as a ‘cross to bear’ rather than a gift to open. She, however, seemed to believe that it was an honor and a joy to be chosen as the mother of Christ.
It’s easy to focus on the negatives. ‘Think of the risk involved. She could have been killed. She could have been scarred with supposed scandal for the rest of her life. She almost lost Joseph.’ But let’s not forget the joys and blessings that came with this divine and beautifully orchestrated call.
Mary had a miraculous pregnancy and birth! She had a perfect son, who came to save all of humanity. The toddler she rocked to sleep at night had a destiny, call, and purpose greater than any other human has ever known.
Mary was the first to see what God looked like in human flesh. She was the first voice Jesus heard, the first to feed him, the first to be intimately close with him. She watched her Lord and King grow up in her own home. How special. How incredible. How beautiful.
Yes, Mary gave up much. She sacrificed much. She lost much. She risked much (even her life!).
But think of all she gained. Think of all the blessings bestowed on her! Think of the joy Mary held in her arms every time she cradled her Messiah. Think of the peace she experienced as she gazed at her Prince of Peace. Think of the love that she witnessed every day by observing her son.
God has a call on your life, an impossible adventure that only He can lead you on. It won’t be easy, and there will be trials and danger. But don’t let that deter you.
Far greater than the reality of risk is the reality of joy and peace. The life God has for you is the best that could ever be. Stay hopeful, child of the King; there is much for you to gain.
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