All Things are Possible!
Nothing is impossible with our God! Nothing! Everything is under His hand and in His thoughts. Since the crunch of the ill-fated bite of forbidden fruit, God wove together generations for just this moment. Dispersing Gabriel to the home of a young woman not yet married, He announced His plan of Salvation. The long-awaited Messiah was finally coming. He wouldn’t arrive on the scene as a warrior or king. He would not be born into an affluent family or one with a prestigious name. Instead, God chose a virgin, a distant descendant of a man after His own heart.
There is a lot we can learn from Mary. She was not perfect, for no human is. Romans 3:13 explicitly tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our reading today tells us she had “found favor with God.” From her response to Gabriel, we can see why she might have been so favored. When the angel appeared and told her an incredibly unbelievable prediction, she never doubted. Unlike her relative Zachariah, she did not argue or express the unlikeliness of God’s revelation. She simply agreed to do whatever God said. Though the announcement would mean ridicule and hardship, she never complained. Though it was physically and naturally impossible, she did not doubt.
We have to ask ourselves if we believe God will do everything He promises. Notice, I did not say “can do”. Many of us believe He can do miraculous things. Our doubt comes when we contemplate the likeliness of the miracle. This is why God tells us to come to Him with the faith of a child. Mary herself was very young. It is believed she was a mere fourteen years old when she became the mother of our Messiah. She had not had time to grow sinical. Her heart still believed and trusted in miracles. She did not laugh as Sarah did when she heard the angel’s announcement (though both conceptions were equally unbelievable from a natural viewpoint). Mary believed, and she submitted to God’s plan.
Where are you in your belief? Do you believe God can move mountains for you, Are you packing your bags to walk through the parted seas of your life? Last night, I prayed with my four-year-old daughter. Praying with a child is something we should all be fortunate enough to do regularly. Her older brother had lost his wallet. Though he searched his car, his work, and his bedroom, little Katie knew just were to look: her God. Clasping my hands, she asked God to lead her brother to his wallet. After saying “Amen”, she giggled and settled comfortably against her pillow. “He’ll find it in the morning,” she announced with the assurance of childlike faith. As I sit here writing this, I can’t wait for my son to wake up and discover his wallet. There is something else about Katie’s prayer that I hope inspires you today. After praying for her brother, she asked if she could ask other things. For the next few minutes, she poured out all her worries and hopes. Some of her prayers were not so selfless as helping her brother find his wallet. She also asked for one of the gifts under the Christmas tree to be princess shoes. It made me smile. Then I realized it probably made God smile too. We need to believe God will do the big and the small. He isn’t a magic genie awaiting our three wishes, but He is a loving Father who knows what is best for us. He wants us to talk with Him. He wants us to be honest and innocently pour out our hearts through our prayers. He promises to listen, and He always answers. He doesn’t always give us what we ask, but He loves that we turn to Him. Let us be inspired by the faith and obedience of Mary and of children all over the world. God is listening. He has a plan. He has the power, and He has the heart to bless His children. (And I need to go to the store and buy some princess shoes!)
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
Comments