Find Our Daily Devotional Here Early In the Morning

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022

TEXT: Luke 1:26-38

26. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

27. to a virgin engaged to a man whose names was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

29. But she was much perplexed by His words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

30. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.

33. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34. Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35. The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy, he will be called Son of God.

36. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.

37. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38. Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

(New Revised Standard Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: TOO STRANGE TO BELIEVE

It was too much for Zechariah to believe that his wife could get pregnant at that age and bear a child. But in the case of Mary, she was neither praying for nor expecting a child because she was an unmarried virgin.

So the good news that the angel brought to her was humanly bad news because it meant great shame to her, her family and their relatives. But Mary was favored by God to be trusted with the divine assignment of carrying and delivering the Lord.

In that case, Mary did not doubt God but found it too strange to believe. She saw herself as a servant of the Lord and stopped arguing with Him. As God’s children, we face unbelieving challenges that are sometimes too hard to accept as God’s will for our lives.

We sometimes think that, being children of God, we are above trials and tribulations. Thus, we continue singing, “Me I no go suffer, I no go beg for bread.” We need to be faithful to God but be ready to accept God’s will, even if it means going through difficulties.

QUESTION: What is the most difficult situation you are facing now?

PRAYER: Lord God, help me to accept Your will as I go through strange and difficult situations, in Jesus name, Amen.