Advent Devotional: Day 6
“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’”
The word “trust” is a clear word although not often an easy one to swallow. Perhaps the most difficult skill to gain is complete and utter trust in another human being and even harder to admit, trust in God.
As we all know one of the biggest miracles of God is the birth of our own Savior being created without conception. This is certainly a shocking and an impossible thing to achieve without God. The same God who often calls us intentionally and specifically to trust Him in situations where we struggle, and where we feel weak. God is first and foremost our father; He tests us and gives us challenges so that we can learn and grow, one day having the strongest, most powerful faith.
I can’t help but think Mary was shocked, scared, and worried about the standards and judgment during those days. To be told she would have a child without the physical act of conceiving before she was married (to a stranger, at that), seemed like it might be overwhelming for a young girl. We know right away from this verse that Mary was by no means perfect either as she questions what the angel of the Lord says.
Like any of us, she simply could not fathom certain outcomes without executing the necessary actions (i.e., conceiving a child). I can’t say for sure that I would have faith right away either, but God’s ability to know our fear and hesitation and turn them into a learning experience are the blessings I see in this passage. We can learn a lot from Mary and how she handled herself during this incredible trial that God placed her in as well as an example of an incredible miracle. We may not always have that instant faith in God, but it is something we should work hard to achieve in our daily walk. Imagine how fulfilling life would be if we had an instant faith in every situation God places us in!
“Jesus, help us to find faith and peace in a situation, even this week, that we truly struggle with. Help us not to fight, try to change it or spend countless hours thinking about it, but to accept it and let God do the rest just like Mary.”
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