June 25 How?

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 “That’s impossible! No way can that happen.” Or would she have had a tone of expectation, “Wow! That sounds impossible, but I’m sure God has a way to make it happen. Tell me more.”
     Based on Gabriel’s response to her, I believe her attitude was as the latter. Certainly she did not understand how she a virgin would give birth to any baby let alone to the Son of God! But she was willing to hear the possibilities.
     Mary’s ears and heart were open to God’s guidance along an unknown path. The tone of the entire account here is that she was ready to go to a new place with God. In fact, she could have been eager to learn how the impossible words would happen.
     Mary must have had a great faith in God and a great love for God. She would have called him Yahweh. And she would have seen him as God the Provider, God the Creator, God the Law Giver and God the Freedom Giver. Mary must have known in her heart that God could and would do things beyond the natural laws he had established.
     That’s faith. Mary trusted God. She was assured “Nothing is impossible with God.” She took those words to heart. I pray that 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.