Daniel 11-12
Jude
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” —Ecclesiastes 3:11
How do we react when something unexpected happens? Do we become afraid? shocked? Or pleasantly surprised? In the Christmas story, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” It is not every day that an angel goes and visits a person. Luke gives us insight on how Mary reacted from this encounter as he writes, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” As Mary stood there, the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. 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, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:28-33).
The angel’s message did not make sense to Mary as she asked: “How will this be since I am a virgin?” 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 the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). If encountering an angel was not already troubling for Mary, how must she have felt when the angel told her what was about to happen—that she, as a virgin, would conceive and give birth to a Son? We could probably see fear wash over Mary as she imagined what it would be like to tell her parents the news and how she would convince her betrothed, Joseph, that she had not been unfaithful. If her parents and Joseph decided to disown her, how would she raise this child on her own? What would happen to their future?
Unlike Moses and Jeremiah in the Old Testament, where God revealed a task to them and they told Him to send someone else, Mary humbly responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
What faith did Mary display as she accepted the words of the angel—of God! Mary could have succumbed to her fear and rejected what the angel revealed, but even in her youth, she understood the message of hope. Instead of focusing on herself, she saw God’s greater plan in what He sought to accomplish and submitted to His will for her life.
Considering our own life and what we face, will we choose to trust in God and His will for us in the unknown and unexpected circumstances?
Gracious God, in the unknown and unexpected circumstances, I trust in You, Lord, as my source of hope. I humbly yield to You, believing You will make everything beautiful in its time. Thank You, Lord.
Jude
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” —Ecclesiastes 3:11
How do we react when something unexpected happens? Do we become afraid? shocked? Or pleasantly surprised? In the Christmas story, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” It is not every day that an angel goes and visits a person. Luke gives us insight on how Mary reacted from this encounter as he writes, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” As Mary stood there, the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. 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, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:28-33).
The angel’s message did not make sense to Mary as she asked: “How will this be since I am a virgin?” 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 the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). If encountering an angel was not already troubling for Mary, how must she have felt when the angel told her what was about to happen—that she, as a virgin, would conceive and give birth to a Son? We could probably see fear wash over Mary as she imagined what it would be like to tell her parents the news and how she would convince her betrothed, Joseph, that she had not been unfaithful. If her parents and Joseph decided to disown her, how would she raise this child on her own? What would happen to their future?
Unlike Moses and Jeremiah in the Old Testament, where God revealed a task to them and they told Him to send someone else, Mary humbly responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
What faith did Mary display as she accepted the words of the angel—of God! Mary could have succumbed to her fear and rejected what the angel revealed, but even in her youth, she understood the message of hope. Instead of focusing on herself, she saw God’s greater plan in what He sought to accomplish and submitted to His will for her life.
Considering our own life and what we face, will we choose to trust in God and His will for us in the unknown and unexpected circumstances?
Gracious God, in the unknown and unexpected circumstances, I trust in You, Lord, as my source of hope. I humbly yield to You, believing You will make everything beautiful in its time. Thank You, Lord.
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