"In quietness and confidence is your strength."
~Isaiah 30:15
"'Don’t be afraid, Mary,' the angel told her, 'for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.'"
~Luke 1:30-31
Today, I am humbled by the mere fact of putting myself in Mary's position. Theologians figure that Mary was anywhere from 14-16 years old when she found she was going to be giving birth to Jesus. I sat this morning and really soaked that in. I can't even fathom being my age, let alone years younger, and being told by an angel that I was going to be giving birth to the Son of God.
I can't even imagine what Mary went through--mentally with herself, having to deal with others' perceptions, having to explain to others how she was a virgin, yet pregnant. Something that I've had to work on myself is the feeling of needing to defend myself. I've found myself in plenty of situations where I am judged, people talk, people ask questions upon questions, people make assumptions, etc. Then it has just been natural for me to feel the need to almost put up my shield, and explain and defend myself. One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the past year is that God is my one and only defender. "In quietness and confidence shall be my strength", just as Isaiah 30:15 says. The position that Mary was put in was the exact thing that has inspired me to trust God to be my defender and a voice of truth and righteousness for me. It has given me a sense of peace that I have never experienced before.
The other thing that completely humbled me was just the fact of being told that you were going to give birth to the Son of God. I mean really, can you imagine an angel appearing to you and telling "Don't be afraid, God has found favor in you. You will conceive and give birth to the Son of God and name Him Jesus." . . NO PRESSURE! To me, that is just the prime definition of "honor". I could not imagine being the one chosen to give birth to the Son of God--how humbling.
This Christmas, I pray that you are filled with gratitude, joy, love, and this bountiful experience of being humbled.
Merry Christmas!
I can't even imagine what Mary went through--mentally with herself, having to deal with others' perceptions, having to explain to others how she was a virgin, yet pregnant. Something that I've had to work on myself is the feeling of needing to defend myself. I've found myself in plenty of situations where I am judged, people talk, people ask questions upon questions, people make assumptions, etc. Then it has just been natural for me to feel the need to almost put up my shield, and explain and defend myself. One of the biggest lessons I have learned in the past year is that God is my one and only defender. "In quietness and confidence shall be my strength", just as Isaiah 30:15 says. The position that Mary was put in was the exact thing that has inspired me to trust God to be my defender and a voice of truth and righteousness for me. It has given me a sense of peace that I have never experienced before.
The other thing that completely humbled me was just the fact of being told that you were going to give birth to the Son of God. I mean really, can you imagine an angel appearing to you and telling "Don't be afraid, God has found favor in you. You will conceive and give birth to the Son of God and name Him Jesus." . . NO PRESSURE! To me, that is just the prime definition of "honor". I could not imagine being the one chosen to give birth to the Son of God--how humbling.
This Christmas, I pray that you are filled with gratitude, joy, love, and this bountiful experience of being humbled.
Merry Christmas!
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