What must it have been like to have an angel appear and tell you that you were not only about to have a baby (as a virgin, no less), but He would be the one Mary had heard about her entire life? He was the coming Messiah, and she was just a teenager. He was coming to set her and her people free, but was not what they pictured. His coming had been foretold, and God used a very unlikely woman to not only be a part of His lineage, but to be His mother.
I often feel like the most unlikely woman for the task God has set before me. I feel unqualified, unable, inadequate, and afraid. That’s how I can relate to Mary. I daily fail and fall, but God uses me in spite of it all.
We don’t know much about Mary, but we know that she was a woman who believed. She believed that God would come through for her and accomplish what He foretold. Joseph believed despite the cultural odds and relational tension he must have experienced. Elizabeth believed as a cousin and a friend that God would do exactly what He said He would do.
God reminds me so often that all He’s asking me to do is trust and believe. When I trust and believe, God can take these frail pieces and use them.
I don’t know what it’s like to be a mom.
I can’t wrap my mind around what it must have been like to give birth in a stable.
But I do know what it means to believe God for something that seems impossible. There are several things in my life right now that feel like impossibilities, but I serve a God who loves to make the impossible possible. He gave Abraham and Sarah a child when she was 90 years old. He turned water to wine. He healed the sick and lame. He was a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night for the Israelites. God loves the impossible because through Him all things are possible.
As believers, we must believe God for both the ordinary and extraordinary. He is faithful to His people. He will follow through on what He says. It doesn’t always look like the result we’ve anticipated, but He never lets us down.
This season, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, what are you facing that seems impossible? Take a moment and ask God for the impossible thing. Open your hands and surrender that very thing to Him—the thing that seems daunting. When you’re tempted to pick it back up today, believe. Believe God for who He is and what He has done. Remember His faithfulness. Get your head into the Word and read of His unfailing character. Ask Him to give you fresh eyes to see the story of Jesus this season. He will come through for you.
“Blessed is she who has believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45
When Mary Margaret isn’t coordinating leadership events for women or hosting the {MARKED} podcast, you can find her watching Florida Gator football, cooking with friends, or reading a good book. She loves teaching God’s Word, Mexican food, a good pair of jeans, and calling Nashville home. Follow her on Twitter: @marymargaretc.
