“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to 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 forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1 v 29-38)
Most women would be delighted to hear news they are pregnant, but not Mary.
I think I have spent the majority of my life listening to people believing God will use them mightily, praying that God will take them and do great things and announcing that they are stepping out into God’s great plans with a great awesome future in faith to do great exploits, sometimes leaving me wondering which character is the great one.
I don’t blame them because I have preached many a good sermon from that stance.
But what if being chosen isn’t like that at all?
What if being chosen actually sounds perplexing, anxious and leaving you greatly troubled?
What if being highly favoured means you need an angel to tell you ‘Don’t be afraid’?
What if the reason why you are being instructed not to be afraid is that what you are being chosen for would scare the life out of most people?
What if being chosen is the worst thing that could have happened to you?
What if being highly favoured means that you cannot see how you will be the most blessed of women but the most scorned, insulted and slandered?
It can look to others like God is nowhere near and not involved with what He in fact actually caused. Don’t expect everyone to be thrilled with the miracle that is inside you. They do not know that the miracle was planted in you. They do not know your encounter with the Divine Presence. Keep your eyes off people and their reactions and responses will not hinder you.
If you know all the answers then maybe what God is about to do isn’t God after all? God acts and blows our minds. That’s how it is.
It is easier to believe in miracles when you don’t need one.
To step into all He has purposed for your life will mean that at various stages you have to change. You will need to leave the person you was behind. You will have to change what you believed perhaps. You will need to ask, ‘do I want to become this new person that I am going to have to become?’ Others will have to embrace that change also as they relate to what God is doing in your life. There may be a need to lose some precious things to you:-
- Your reputation: If reputation is more important than His plan then all you will have to talk about is the past.
- The battle. How is she ever going to explain virgin and pregnant? There are times when you need to silence your mouth and lose the argument. It will be another 30 years when people will realise that this child is the Son of God and for some they will never believe it anyway.
- The desire for vindication. God’s plan may seem unfair full stop.
God is waiting for your submission to the miracles He has for you.
Have you ever prayed this prayer? “I will adjust to what you want for my life God.” Mary did.
Have you ever prayed this prayer? “I am yours. My mind understands. My heart receives. My body is ready, use me.” Mary did.
Have you ever prayed this prayer? “YES I agree with that. I believe that to be true. I want that to be so.” Mary did.
Finally, see what happens after Mary submitted to her miracle.
Heaven leaves. The angels work is done. Mary is left alone.
The conference is over. The event has finished. The intercessors, worshippers and followers dispersed. And it is you left on centre stage with the hope of a miracle.
What will you do now?
It takes courage to remain when everyone has left.
It is a little easier to believe when Gabriel is in front of you.
Surrounded by the divine we can all submit to the plans of God.
When all you have is you then it is not so easy.
If this had happened in other times or places Mary was definitely holding her own death warrant. Maybe she feared of the possibility of a stoning returning. She knew at least she would be slandered, scorned and maligned. But she definitely held the divorce papers. Gabriel had said nothing about Joseph. She had tried to raise the issue when saying she was a virgin but she surrendered without knowing how Gabriel thought Joseph would be with this. “Why didn’t I ask?” “I should have got that sorted!”
Gabriel leaves. But actually we read it wrong. It is an assumption that Mary is alone. Just because we cannot see any more characters doesn’t mean there isn’t the important one there with Mary. Gabriel had spoken of the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowing her. That’s all we need when the angel leaves.
Missions Paul 