Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord .” (Luke 1:45, NKJV).
Our Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we believe that what You have promised You will do. Increase our faith that we might witness even greater manifestations of Your power in our lives. This is our prayer in the blessed name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
As we continue our journey through the incarnation of the Prince of Heaven we come to a very important factor – Mary’s faith. Many people believe that faith excludes the asking of questions. I disagree. Oftentimes it is the answers to our questions that increase our faith. Let us take another look at the announcement and the response of Mary:
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. . . . Then Mary said to the angel,’ “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ‘ And the angel answered and said to her,’ “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” ‘ ” (31, 34, 35).
Now Mary is not worried anymore. She does not understand the procedure. She is still in awe. She is still dumbstruck; but she knows who is in charge. She obviously is a young woman who prays a lot. You see prayer is not only about us opening our hearts to God; it is also about God filling the voids in our lives. When we open the door of our hearts through prayer it allows God to come in with answers that fill the gaps that doubt creates in our lives.
Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Mary to face the people in her community knowing all the questions they were asking about her? What about her parents. How bad she must have felt for them, knowing that because of her, they too would be put to open shame! But it was not only her parents and the people of her community that would have questions, what about her fiancé Joseph what was he to believe? After all he had selected her precisely because she was a young woman of an impeccable character. Now try to imagine how much more difficult it would have been without the assurance that God was in control and that He would make all things right.
The angel’s response has settled the matter. She is on her way for a visit with her cousin Elizabeth, who has also found favor with God. She has conceived in her old age – she who was considered barren! What Mary is about to experience is what I call “God making a statement.” As Mary greets her cousin, the babe in Elizabeth’s womb “leaps for joy.” When God does something special in our lives He confirms it by a sign, as if to erase any lingering doubt, and to give us the assurance that it was He who did it. Elizabeth’s words confirms the announcement of the angel. Listen to her words: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me” (42b, 43. Emphasis provided)? My Lord – the Holy One, the Son of God!
Where are you in this story? Are you struggling with doubt on a matter that God has already assured you of? Do you have questions about the matter? Then ask them. And when God answers your questions believe Him “for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told [you] from the Lord.”