What Mary and the Angel of the Lord Said Changed Everything

There is much the Bible doesn’t say about the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, her impact as a woman of virtue, faith, strength, grace and support cannot be overstated. Mary was not a random choice. God had been planning to send His Son into the world from the moment sin separated Him from His beloved creation and He had thousands of years to plan the perfect set of circumstances, including the parents who would care for and raise His Son. One of the hallmarks of Mary’s character is her faith and in spite of anything else you may be, your faith in God will always cause you to be the natural choice when He needs to work a supernatural miracle here on earth.

Mary was a woman whose faith in God and His Word was unshakable and although the Bible doesn’t record many of the things she probably said, there are plenty of things she did say and they were words of power and authority and confidence in the Lord. In Luke 1:35-38 when Mary and the angel Gabriel spoke, he told her that the Holy Spirit would come on her and that she would give birth to the Holy One, “who will be called the Son of God.” Her response? “I am the servant of the Lord” – This the most powerful statement any Christian can make when God tells you what He needs. And God does need you.

Mary’s response to this great honor and burden is challenging and thought-provoking to faith because she had been given an impossible situation, but instead of allowing it to strike fear in her heart, Mary’s faith was ignited. Instead of asking for a sign, Mary submitted. Instead of dreading what God had asked of her, Mary determined to get it done. “May it be unto me according to your word,” she said.

4 Ways in Which Mary’s Faith Didn’t Fail

In a spiritual sense, you, too, carry the Holy One, the Son of God, within you. Do you wrestle with what you know He’s asking? Is there fear or faith? Signs or submission? Dread or determination? Giving birth to a miracle is going to take everything you have to give and you may have an impossible, confusing situation to walk through, but God has chosen you and remember this about Mary’s experience: Giving birth to Jesus was only the beginning of the miracle! When Mary and the angel of the Lord spoke, her few words showed that her faith was strong enough to shoulder the responsibility God needed her to bear:

1. Mary’s faith was strong enough to submit, even though she didn’t understand.
2. Her faith was strong enough to face rejection from family and her culture after telling a very perplexing story that ended in an unwed pregnancy.
3. Her faith was strong enough to stand and watch her son be beaten and crucified.
4. Her faith was strong enough to wait in the Upper Room with Jesus’ disciples after His death for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

…your faith in God will always cause you to be the natural choice when He needs to work a supernatural miracle here on earth.

~Alicia Purdy

There is nothing wrong with being afraid when God asks the “impossible” of you, but remember: If God needs you to do the impossible it’s because He wants to prove that His word makes the “impossible” a reality. “For with God nothing will be impossible,” the angel said to Mary. (Luke 1:37) That promise is still in effect today. What we see to be impossible, in God’s reality, it’s not only possible, it is accomplished, through Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 1:12 the Lord spoke saying, “For I will hasten My word to perform it,” meaning that He will “watch vigilantly over” His Word to make sure it is carried out in your life, in my life, in the lives of those you care about, and in the entirety of the world. God is a Man of His Word.

Thought for today: Both Mary and the Angel Spoke Words of Faith

Here’s the biggest difference between Mary and the angel (among many!): Mary, as a human being alive on earth, had to live a life of faith, where the belief in the impossible as no other foundation than trust in the Lord. The angel, Gabriel, however, lives his life perpetually in the vital, living presence of God and he has first-hand experience with the power of God. He has seen that “with God, nothing is impossible”. His words weren’t spoke in faith- they were spoken from experience.

If the Lord is asking you to face down incredible odds or do the “impossible” or to show faith in the face of fear or to cling to the Word or message He sent you in spite of push back, criticism or rejection from others – think of Mary. What she went endured would have broken anyone who didn’t have an unwavering faith and trust in the Lord, but because she clung to Him, God used her to bring Jesus Christ into the world! God will use you to bring Jesus Christ and His Gospel into the world as well, but you can expect that the “impossible” to be part of that journey. Praise God for choosing you! You may not feel ready or strong enough, but He knows you are! Say what Mary said: “I am Your servant” and then see what miracles God will do!

The Life of Mary Continues to Inspire Faith in the Impossible!

• “Mary’s Faith in Jesus Brought a Miracle to Many”
• “Searching for Jesus Was Mary’s Mission”
• “What Did Mary Refuse to Say?”

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