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Angel Gabriel Gives A Gift to Maiden Mary
by BILL HUNT "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28 NKJ). The day the Angel Gabriel came, he overwhelmed Mary with his gift. His angelic presence filled her attention with divine delight. She found herself face to face with an incredible spirit. The Angel radiated divine favor, and his kindness seemed very calming. She found his voice mighty, beautiful, gentle, and clear. His words resonated through her whole womanly being. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS" (Luke 1:30-31 NKJ). Mary is a virgin before the Lord. The Angel's unexpected message perplexed her. She listened reflectively, considering deeply in her heart what he said. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:35-37 NKJ). Mary could feel this powerful, pure anointing over her. She found his news of Elizabeth reassuring. This helped her to accept the angel's message. Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:38 NKJ). She answered him with consent that rings through the Ages. The mother, of the promised Messiah! Mary's body, mind, heart, and spirit exploded with unspeakable joy. She thought immediately of her favored cousin Elizabeth with whom she could share this tremendous experience. The Christmas story challenges us to find meaning as a matter of faith. By divine attribution, God chooses natural persons to undertake supernatural deeds. Those who reinterpret such accomplishments into fabricated legends diminish and miss the magnificence of the true divine purpose. Mary was a real person, a native Hebrew girl from a small town, Nazareth. Being a devout girl, she likely turned in prayer as she helped her parents through daily tasks around the home. As a young woman, her parents engaged her to wed Joseph, the village carpenter, a godly, good, and gentle man. The young couple likely exchanged smiles and conversations whenever he came near. The point is, Joseph and Mary were real people God chose for an unusual mission. Mary thought of Joseph. What would he think? She knew her trust in God must be her source of strength. "And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49 NKJ). Reflections to prepare for Christmas: o Are you leading a life, where God could visit you? o If God requested something, how would you answer him? o So, what has God actually asked you to do with your life? (Scriptures by www.BibleGateway.com) Bill Hunt dedicated his marriage to discovering God's 100 million miracles in life. As a Christian Writer, administrator, and career educator, he writes true miracle stories and Christian teachings on FaithWriters and CornerRetreat.blogspot.com. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |