A Daily Devotion for Thursday, October 9
- ontrakk
- Oct 9
- 2 min read
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 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 conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants 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 on 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 unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Sometimes what seems at first to be an enormous burden can turn out to be the greatest blessing of all time. If I remember that I am a child of God, and that my life has a purpose, I must hold hope that even the burdens can lead to positive things. God has a plan, and my part has been written by Him.
Holy Lord, hold me close, I pray. Help me to see your grace, experience and appreciate it, all in a true spirit of thankfulness. Amen
Becky, transforming
Luke1:26-38
As I read these verses in Luke I can’t help but think, “what was going through Mary’s mind when the angel was spelling out the events that were ahead of her….?”
Did she have earthly thoughts? What would people think? How would they manage? How could I possibly explain this? But, of course, her response was one of pure faith, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
This tremendous act of faith and the many more that are shown through out the Bible are examples for us. Would I be able to act in this way, a faith so strong that I would not hesitate to question the wildest test?
Heavenly Father, I humbly…
Luke 1:26-38
Last week we attended a "gender reveal" celebration for our second oldest granddaughter. At the countdown, we saw lots of blue in the air. It will be a boy! Very exciting! As I read today's devotion, I was struck by the writer's reminder to us all--"The angels message from God was not only to Mary but also to you and me. If when we read the individual stories and then put ourselves as Ruth, Elizabeth, Martha, Mary, etc we might see the importance and significance of why God's words were passed on to us.
Prayer: Gracious God, Thank you for this reminder of the reality of the Bible's stories. AMEN
Luke 1:26-38 ““I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” With these words, Mary’s world was was changed for eternity. Those same words have the same effect on anyone who says them and means it these two millennia later. Saying yes to Jesus is the start of a long journey toward sanctification and restoration of what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Mary’s yes is the model for us all. Part of our call as Christians is to help others appreciate the life-affirming and eternal importance of saying yes to Jesus.
Prayer - Dear Lord, I, along with all my brothers and sisters in Christ in the Church universal have said yes to Jesus’…