Mary's Response to God's Call

In scripture we read about Sarah and Abraham and the miraculous story of conception. God promised this faithful couple, the Father of a Nation, the man who God gave the unconditional covenant to, a baby in their old age.

What was their response?

They laughed.

Then God sends the Angel Gabriel to Zechariah, a man who God sees as righteous - 1:6, a priest who had the divine privilege of entering the sanctuary of the Lord. The Angel Gabriel tells him he was also conceive a baby.

What was his response?

Doubt.

Then we see Mary. A humble teenage girl in the town of Nazareth. She was to deliver the Savior as a virgin. A miraculous conception.

What was her response?

“I am the Lord’s servant.”

May our response to God’s will and impossible circumstances not be laughter and doubt but a willing acceptance and yes.


 

advertisement

Christmas Prayer - The One Thing

Prayer this prayer today - may we loosen our grip on the things we need and hold them out to the Savior instead to receive Him.

The One Thing

We hold tight to the things we think we need.

Spending ourselves for what we can get.

Searching for the greatest, the biggest, the best.

How quickly and easily we forget.

Only one thing is needed.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The image of the invisible God.

He came so that we could have life and have it to the full.

The fullness of God was born for us.

He holds nothing back.

He offers all of us- all of himself.

The True Gift is the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

He IS abundantly more.

He gifts US abundantly more.

The greatest gift is freely given

without regret or reservation.

The only thing we really need

is to loosen our grip and open our hands to receive.

Heavenly Father,

May we learn to let go of the things we shouldn’t hold

and live out of his abundance.

May his gifts be an overflow

from our open hands into the world around us.

For his Kingdom and for his glory.

Amen.

written by Aimee Thornton

 

advertisement

Called To Be The Light - Christmas

I’m in the She Reads Truth Advent Study and they brought me to this passage.  A passage that is a promise from God to his servant Jesus.  A promise from father to son.  But a promise by extension that is also given to us for we are sent as Jesus was sent.

Isaiah 42:6-7

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;

I will take hold of your hand.

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people

and a light for the Gentiles,

to open eyes that are blind,

to free captives from prison

and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

 

I have called you

I will hold you

I will watch over you

I will appoint you

You are the light to the nations

This Christmas season; be reminded that we are called. We are held and watched over. We are appointed.  We live in the light of truth, the light of life and are sent as Jesus was sent to be the light to the nations.  To be the light to your community, your block, the basketball team, the stranger on the sidewalk.  A light to the lady who cut in front of us at the checkout line. A light to the tween alone at the playground.

Be reminded this Christmas, we are the lights on display. We are to be the light of life to the nations.

 

John 8:12 – “Then Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

advertisement:

Image by <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/christmas-concept-with-beautiful-tree-lights_5914247.htm#query=christmas%20lights&position=29&from_view=search&track=ais&uuid=4198f32f-2f79-46e7-b508-1d15f0e87bc4">Freepik</a>