Rejoice! Rejoice? But how?

Day 4

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son.

This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.”

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Devotional

This scripture always hits me “right in the feels” when I read it. I remember getting pregnant with our second child very soon after the birth of our first. I had no idea how we would do it, I just knew that we were going to do it! We were just figuring out how to be parents, and now we had to try to do it with two of them! It was overwhelming to say the least.

I just sit and think, this must be how Mary felt. She had a few different circumstances than me, but I seem to get the feeling that she was confused. She was lost. She was wondering, “How am I going to do this?” What a shock this would have been for her too!

It took me a long time to realize God gave me this miracle for a reason. Mary accepted it right away! “Let it be with me just as you have said.” That takes a lot to just give it all to Him! When I look back at how much of my pregnancy I spent thinking “Why? How? What are we going to do? We have to move!”

Every. Single. Thought you could have, I had it. What if I rejoiced in the pregnancy? What if I just “let it be”? I know so many things would have been different for me emotionally and spiritually.

A child is a gift from God! This child was the most special gift! We are forever saved because God gave us His only Son! There is something so special about the gift of that child.

Prayer

Dear lord, thank you for giving your only Son, to save people like me. I know that you throw these challenges at us so that we know that you are with us. That we just breath, and let your will be. I know we don’t do that every time, and you are so patient and a loving God, for giving us grace in those situations. What would have been had Mary not trusted you. Please, be with me as I work every day to trust in You!

To know that there is nothing you wouldn’t give to me that I could not handle with You. In your loving name, I pray, Amen.

Challenge

God gave Mary this miracle, even though it was scary at first! Reflect back on a time in your life you were scared about something coming up. How did it turn out in the end?