Luke1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
When Mary met an angel, sorry the angel Gabriel sent directly from God, she was a little ataken back and wondered what type of greeting this was. She was then told incredulous things first that she would conceive, though she was a virgin and then that the baby would be king over the house of Jacob forever. Then later all the strange and wonderful "happpenings" around the birth played out, even the riches of gold, frankincense and myrrh to help them with the exile to Egypt. Old prophets like Anna (Lk2:36)and righteous people like Simeon see Jesus as the "consolation of Israel" Over the number of years Jesus "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him" v 40 & 52 And as Jesus grew up, he increased in wisdom and in favor with God and people.
Luke2:19 & 51 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
We deceive ourselves if we think a "good word from the Lord" is without pain suffering and growth. If the mother of Jesus fast forwarded 33yrs, she would have questioned her interaction with the angel Gabriel and all the early "happenings".
Her faith would be in crises mode.
The most we can do when we hear prophecy, is to treasure and ponder the words in our heart and prepare for a journey that takes us via the crucible of the Cross, a dark night of the soul in the valley of the shadow of death, before resurrection time.
We are encouraged to walk as Jesus walked and this my sisters is via the cross.
1 John 2:5-7 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love[a] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Siobhan
Romans 14:11
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“It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow
before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’””
13 hours ago
I found your words encouraging in relation to the salvation of my children. The disappointments have been many and the emotional pain difficult. I sometimes wonder if God will ever see fit to bring it to pass. But your words reminded me that the calvary road is always involved in promises.
ReplyDeleteShirley Fay
Zachariah's prayer was answered in his old age with the birth John the Baptist. I can imagine him saying "what prayer"?? as he forgot the need of a child with the passing years. Judging by Zachariah's song over his newborn son his previous prayers had a sharp focus, and now he had the opportunity over the nine months to sharpen his aspirations for his son. It gives me hope when I see real people having natural responses to meeting the supernatural.
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