Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 11

 

 

Mary said, "My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior,

for He has remembered me, His lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy,

because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me.

His name is holy; from one generation to another He shows mercy to those who honor Him.
(Luk 1:46-50)

 

After receiving a greeting and a blessing from her cousin Elisabeth, Mary begins her song of praise. It seems clear to me that Mary understood the angel’s message. She was to be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. Why else would people call her blessed?

Yet we know her understanding was not complete. Twelve years later when she finds her runaway son in the temple, she is hurt and confused by His actions. Luke 2:51 tells us that although Mary did not understand, she treasured up all that had happened in her heart. She was content to wait for understanding.

There is a saying, If it be not intelligible, it is not valuable. But this is not so with God. He does not always give us a complete view, or understanding of a situation or task. His word is not always completely clear to us. But it is always valuable, and that which we do not understand now, should be treasured up for later.

 

So when He was raised from death,

His disciples remembered that He had said this,

and they believed the scripture and what Jesus had said.
(Joh 2:22)

 

Has He given you a task that you first responded to with JOY and praise, but now the path has become unclear and you’re wondering what to do next? Is there a scripture {or ten} that perplexes you? A hard teaching you’re struggling to accept?

Let us take a lesson from Mary and treasure up these things, content to wait for His timing. Yes, even the hard things, the things that can make us doubt. Because we know our God is good, and just and right.

 

We can trust Him with our waiting.

We can honor Him with our patience.

 

 

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him
(Psa 37:7)

 

Blessings,

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 6

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. Isaiah 7:14-15

I was reminded the other day that most people, even many who call themselves Christians, do not share my desire for Christ to hasten His return.

A group of us were enjoying dinner together, discussing the {evil} days in which we are living. The last days, perhaps? Those of us at the table, having lived longer than we will likely yet live, expressed our desire for Jesus to return. For those present such desire was motivated by various things; a longing to be free from pain, a longing to enter His rest,  a desire to simply lay on His bosom and worship.

In my naïveté, and perhaps piety, I assumed everyone at the table {being Christians} would agree and also be desirous of His coming. Not so. One young lady, in her early twenties, does not wish for a hastened return.

Her reason?  She wants to get married and have a family. She longs to experience the joys of being a mother. Who can blame her for that?

While I am saddened by the fact that she desires a family more than she desires Jesus, I do not judge her. I believe it is natural for her to desire these things, and there is no evidence that her desire for a family is a denial of Christ. I pray that her relationship with God will grow until she desires Jesus about all else.

Our word of hope today is from the prophet Isaiah. Over 700 years before the birth of Christ, he brings a word of hope to the people of God. He speaks of a young virgin who will bear a son. Immanuel.

God with us.

But what if Mary had said no? What if she had chosen her reputation, her love for Joseph, their plan for a life together – what if she had chosen her own desires over obedience to God’s plan?

I am amazed anew every time I read Mary’s response to Gabriel.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38

The term handmaid can refer to a female slave who has been given their freedom but has chosen to stay with their master. I believe Mary used this term on purpose. She was acknowledging that she had a choice. The fact that God knew what her response would be does not change this fact, and it doesn’t change the reality of that choice for Mary.

Choosing to obey God does not always mean suffering, or giving up something we want and desire. But obeying God does, always, bring a blessing.

The Savior would have come regardless of Mary’s response, but her obedience brought about a far greater blessing than she could have ever imagined.

How about you, do you long for Jesus to return?

Is He asking you to do something you can’t understand or something you never imagined?

If so, remember what Gabriel told Mary, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Blessings,