The Annunciation by James Tissot
Luke 1: 30-38– “But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” (NIV).
Precious Mary…can you imagine what was happening in her mind when the angel appeared to her? She had probably heard the prophecy all of her life about the virgin who would bring forth a son; I wonder if she ever thought that she would be the one chosen by God for such a task. Mary never argued with the angel or turned down the job she was chosen by God to do. What a job she had been given and she was prepared to do whatever God asked.
Mary wasn’t able to see the written scripture that tells the story of what was about to take place in her life, all Mary had was the promise the angel gave of who Jesus would be. God breathed life into that sweet young girl, a life that would pay the ransom for man. God’s promises are not like those of the world around us, the world’s promises fall short…God’s promises are eternal, His promises are never broken.
I have spent a lot of my life struggling with the word ‘promise,’ it always seemed to be an empty word. Most promises fell through or where forgotten about, but we cannot compare our fleshly promises to the eternal ones that God gives. Unlike the promises that people in our lives make to us, God will NEVER break a promise that He has made.
When the angel promised Mary all that would take place she never doubted but only trusted God. Can we say the same? We see the promises of God throughout scripture but we still doubt and do not trust. Mary teaches us an invaluable lesson about our faith walk. Never doubt God’s promises, even when it looks impossible the angel had a response that we need to remember. “Nothing is impossible with God.”
What promise has God made that you cling to in your faith?