Scripture Reading: Luke 1.26-66 Today's inspiration: Luke 1.37 - Nothing is impossible with God.

"Ave!"

"Ave, Maria", the Latin term the angel Gabriel used meant "Greetings, Mary". So we have a second angelic visit by Gabriel in Luke 1--first to Zechariah, and now to sweet Mary. A young virgin, Mary is told, 'you are going to have a son--a holy son--the one and only Son of God. You are highly esteemed by God, and this is how it will happen. . . . and by the way, your dear old cousin Elizabeth is now six months along with a child.' Friends, listen carefully to the angel's concluding comment to Mary--powerful then, equally powerful today: Nothing is impossible with God. May I ask you--what have you given up on? What task have you felt 'called to' and it just seems--well, impossible?! What is the mountain that you just can't get over, can't get around or can't get through? What are the impossible odds you are facing? Take heart! Nothing is impossible with God.

After asking, 'but how could this be?' Don't miss Mary's soulful response, "I am the Lord's servant, May it be to me as you have said." She was so very young, and already so full of faith, trusting God's goodness. She did not have many answers about what lay ahead, but it was sure to be fraught with difficulties. . . yet she believed. It reminds me of Jesus' later words, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20.29) I wonder if I would have submitted as easily as Mary. . . would you?

Soon after the miraculous announcement, Mary travels north to the home of Elizabeth in Judea, (about 50 to 70 miles away), and stays with her until the birth of Ellizabeth's baby, John. Elizabeth blesses Mary with the affirmation that indeed Mary had been chosen to be the mother of the Lord. "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!. . . Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1.44 Mary's heart was filled to overflowing with gratefulness, and she is moved to offer praises to God in song. I recently experienced a monumental answer to prayer in my home, and I will tell you that my heart erupted into quiet praise a number of times when I was alone--I even had to pull over to the side of the road a couple times!! It is right, it is natural, and it is good, that when we experience a touch of the divine, that we should praise Him! Not only should we praise and thank God, but we should not soon forget the kindness He has wrought.

Back to the announcement made to Mary of the Messiah's coming birth--this was to be the fulfillment of a prophecy written by the prophet Isaiah about 700 years earlier... seven hundred years. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isaiah 7.14) This was just one of 61 major prophecies about Jesus, which Jesus fulfilled to the letter. You see, our Lord's birth was miraculous, and exact details had been revealed hundreds of years before, which is even more miraculous.

After spending time with Elizabeth, and experiencing the birth of her new nephew, (John-the-Baptist), Mary returns home. She was going to have to tell her family that she was expecting a child, though not just any child. . . how could they possibly get it? Surely they would not believe her! What difficulty and shame they would face in the little town of Nazareth. And how about Joseph--what would he have to say about the condition of his betrothed? He could have her stoned by Jewish law. But as Matthew records in his gospel, Joseph has also been visited by an angel of the Lord in a dream, who tells him not to be afraid "to take Mary as his wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1.20-21) Joseph obeyed, and took Mary to be his wife.

As we will see tomorrow, (Luke 2) world events will set up the fulfillment of more prophecies concerning Jesus' birth--timing and place.

So, if truly nothing is impossible with God, with what do you need to trust Him? In the 70s there was a silly lapel button that said, "Try God." It really bugged me, but now I see a little simple wisdom in it. Though we have doubts, though there might be fears--like, 'what if I trust God to do this or that, and He doesn't come through?'--how would you be any worse off then, friend? Why not TRY GOD? Maybe we can all be a lot more like Mary, and simply trust Him. . .

Ave, Maria. We want to learn from your simple trust, and truly believe that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

Christine