And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.
mary, did you imagine? Published week of december 13, 2020
Ponder with me for a moment what it must have been like to parent the Creator of the universe. I wonder what Mary felt when she received the news of her impending pregnancy from the angel. No doubt there was a myriad of questions she must have experienced. What would people think? Would Joseph, her betrothed, believe her? How was this even possible? However, when all of those emotions and questions settled, one attitude emerged . . . faith-filled gratitude.
God took care of Joseph as he received his own visit from the angel . . . and he did indeed believe Mary. Even Mary's cousin Elizabeth believed as her own baby, John, leapt in her womb when Mary spoke of the Christ-child she was carrying. Despite the challenges, criticisms and comments, Mary realized God had given her a very special baby. However, she probably had no idea of all that lay in store for her, let alone the baby Jesus.
I wonder what she thought when His tiny fingers grasped her own . . . did she know they would touch the leper’s sores and the eyes of the blind? I wonder if she foresaw the Roman spikes that would pierce those tiny hands? When she kissed her baby boy’s cheek, did she realize that one day, that cheek would receive one final kiss of betrayal? When she watched God incarnate take His first steps, could she fathom that those toddler feet would one day walk on water, and up a hill called Calvary? Probably not.
What Mary knew was that God was her savior. She believed the Scriptures that said He would one day redeem His people, Israel . . . that He would save her. So although she may not have even known what she was saying, “Yes,” to – it didn’t matter. She believed in the faithfulness of her God, and that was enough for her.
What about you? Do you have faith like that . . . the kind of faith that God can use to change the world? Will you, like Mary, say to God, “Let it be to me as You have said”? Will you trust Him even when you don’t understand all your “yes” may involve? Christmas reminds us that God is completely trustworthy. You will never regret answering, “Yes” to His call.
“Heavenly Father, You have indeed done wonderful things for me. Thank you for the real Gift of Christmas . . . your Son, Jesus Christ. Father, thank you for giving me my salvation. Forgive me when I still fear sometimes surrendering fully to your will sometimes. Help me to have faith, God, to trust You fully, so that my answer will always be, “Yes” to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
