We have such poor memories when it comes to the prayers we have prayed. I woke up this morning and pondered something that has happened lately. To my astonishment, I remembered that about this very thing I had prayed – and I had prayed for it to happen before the end of the year! The prayer had been answered and when I first heard the news, I didn’t even remember my prayer! How can I forget so quickly?
The Author of my life is God Himself. He writes my story and when I lay my days in His hands, then I can expect good things. I can expect good things, but they may not look that good at the time!
The confusion Mary must have felt when she found herself pregnant. How could this happen? She knew in her heart that she was a virgin, but few other people did. The trust that others had of her must have been called into question.
I remember well an incident in my life many years ago. As a peri-menopausal woman, I had a period that would not stop. I bled and bled and bled (felt like the woman in the Bible who had the ‘issue of blood’ ). Eventually, as it was getting worse and not better, I made an appointment to see my gynaecologist. While I had been to him several times before, he did not know my character. On questioning me, he said, “could you be pregnant?” “Not possible,” I replied, “my husband had a vasectomy about 5 years ago.” “What about your boyfriend?” he asked. “WHAT!?” I responded, “I don’t have a boyfriend!” “That’s what they all say,” he concluded.
I was shocked and very annoyed! He gave me pills and lots of them. “Take these,” he said, “and if the bleeding hasn’t stopped by Monday, I want you to have a pregnancy test.”
He did not believe me. He thinks I’m like ‘all the others!’
How could Mary defend herself? In the eyes of the world, she could have been like all the others too.
By Monday, I had not stopped bleeding. I went for a pregnancy test and rescheduled an appointment for Tuesday. I walked into the gynae’s consulting room and his first words to me were “so I guess you know you’re not pregnant!” Grrrrr!
I wasn’t pregnant, but Mary was.
How do you explain that?
She was to be pregnant with God’s own Son.
When faced with this incredible news from an angelic being, Mary responds with humility,
Luke 1:38
‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.
The angel had also told her,
Luke 1:36
” Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’
Mary’s next actions show her nervous turmoil….she rushes off to Elizabeth to find out if she is pregnant…
Luke 1:39-40
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth…”
She is!
Luke 1:41-45
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!’
Mary had to live out the rest of her pregnancy knowing in her heart she had been set apart for a very special purpose.
But there must have been people whispering and gossiping. It couldn’t have been easy. I think at times she may have doubted.
But God is faithful and as Mary had laid her life in God’s hands and allowed Him to write her story, she could expect good things, even if they didn’t look good right now…. or when there was no room in the inn….or when Jesus was left behind in Jerusalem….or when they took her Son and crucified Him.
But God has the final word. When we trust God, everything will be all right. God has said it.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Love God and lay your life in His hands.
It will be all right in the end and if it’s not all right, it’s not the end!
“Thank you Jesus for answered prayers. I give you thanks and trust you to the end.”
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂