December 23, Fourth Advent Sunday
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month, God
sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be
married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name
was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his
words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said
to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You
will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most high.
The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign
over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
"How will this be," Mary
asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 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.
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.
For nothing is impossible with
God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary
answered." "May it be to me as you have said." Then
the angel left her.
Devotion
It is amazing how the young woman Mary is fully obedient to the Lord, even though she doesn't fully understand the implications of what is about to happen to her. We hold up Mary as a woman of strong faith - her faith is strong not simply because she listens, but it is strong because she accepts God's Word, even when she doesn't full understand it.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you know that many times in our lives we hold back our faith because we cannot fully understand what is happening in our lives. We ask this morning that you give us the boldness to step out and act, allowing you to guide us when the way is uncertain. Amen
by Pastor Jim Visbeek
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