"How?" the Virgin asked.

Luke 1:34-37 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
 
“HOW will this be?” Mary wondered. Do you ever think, “How did she say this?” Would she have spoken this compelling question with an attitude of disbelief: “That’s impossible! There is no way can that happen.” Or would she have had a tone of expectation, “Thank you, Lord! That sounds impossible, but I’m sure you have a way to make it happen. Tell me more.”
    Based on Gabriel’s response to her, Mary’s attitude was one of expectation. Certainly she did not understand how she, a virgin, would give birth to any baby, especially to the Son of God! But she was willing to hear how this miracle from heaven would become real.
    Mary’s ears and heart were open to God’s guidance onto an unknown path. The tone of the entire account here is that she was ready to enter a new place with God. “How will this be?” was likely Mary’s eagerness to learn how the impossible words would become real.
    Mary must have had a great faith in God and a great love for God. She would have called him Adonai, submitting in worship to his sovereign provision for her life.
    The Jews also spoke the name Yahweh, which defines the I AM, who spoke to Moses in the desert (Exodus 3). The name encompasses God’s character. He is God the Provider, God the Creator, God the Law Giver and God the Freedom Giver. God is eternal.
    Mary must have known in her heart that God could and would act beyond the natural laws he had established. Yahweh had done this with Sarah’s empty womb. He had brought life to the barren Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); he had given Samson to his childless parents. God had now ordained even Mary’s barren cousin Elizabeth to be with child. Yahweh is ever-present, ever-working. We must be aware, and we must believe the answer to, “How?” is God’s option.
    That’s faith. Mary trusted, “Nothing is impossible with God.” She took those words to heart. May this is true for you, too.
 
Prayer: When I look around and wonder, “How will this ever change, Lord?” I pray for faith to believe, “With God, nothing is impossible.” In the Spirit’s power I pray, amen.