Although you are not likely to have an angel visit you with a message, as happened in this true story, yet God has an important message for you today.
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth with a message for a young woman who was a virgin. "Greetings you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you... Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God." 1*.
Mary was in for a great surprise!
You and I should feel as excited and frightened as Mary did that day. God has, in His great kindness to us, sent us a very important messenger - His Holy Spirit.2*.
He speaks to individual people through the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Some of what He says is frightening, but some seems too good to be true!
You see God tells us in His Word that we are all sinners, and because of that we all deserve His punishment of eternal death. 3*.But we also find that God has good news for the sinner if he or she will only believe it! Didn't you know that you're highly favoured by God? God wants YOU to be part of His family4*.
If you are puzzled at why God would want to favour you in such a way then you will know how Mary felt when she heard of God's favour towards her.
"You will be with child and give birth to a son.. You are to give Him the name JESUS," the angel told her. ["Jesus" means "Saviour".] "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High .. the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God." 5*.
Mary could not understand this at all. She knew that for her to have a baby before she was married would be a sinful thing. God was certainly NOT wanting her to unite with her boyfriend Joseph before their wedding!
Mary asked the angel, "How will this be since I am a virgin?"
"Nothing is impossible with God," Gabriel assured her. The Holy Spirit would cause a miracle to take place in her life. Mary simply replied, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."6*.
Mary was going to trust God to do the miracle that was needed for this impossible thing to happen.
God wants YOU to trust Him to do the miracle He wants to do in your life. You're highly favoured!
God's Son was coming as one of us in order to die for your sins and mine. God would then raise Him up and send Him to bless you by being able to turn you from sin and to put His new life within you.7*.
But, maybe you don't WANT such a miracle to take place in your life?
Will you trust Jesus as your Priest just now to forgive your sins and miraculously change you? Will you earnestly say in faith what Mary said that day? - "May it be to me as You have said."8*.
Read in Luke chapter 1, verses 26-38, about Mary proving herself to be a true "servant" of God by wanting God to have His way in her life .
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Footnotes. Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 Luke 1:28-30.
2 John 14:25-26. 16:7-14.
3 Romans 3:23. 6:23.
4 John 1:12-13.
5 Luke 1:31-32.
6 Luke 1:34-38.
7 Acts 3:26. 2nd Corinthians 5:17.
8 Acts 26:18.
