Where did Mary’s yielded and faithful heart come from? Was it a strength that came from within her that is available to any human being who responds to God, or was she somehow unusually equipped and therefore uniquely gifted with the courage that she needed? If she was extraordinary and unattainable, then her life as an example to us ordinary…
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Mary’s marvelous song of praise stirs hope in our hearts. How could this young woman express such confidence in God under extreme circumstances (have we mentioned that she was pregnant and unwed?). How did she have the strength of spirit to say “yes” to God under such challenging circumstances? We have discovered that her yielded heart enabled her to surrender to God…
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“And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.” Luke 1:56 We join Mary as she calls her Uber and heads home to Nazareth. Just kidding! Wouldn’t that have been convenient? Mary has just spent three months with her cousin, Elizabeth, and I’m sure it was comforting and soothing to Mary’s soul. I can imagine Elizabeth being more…
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If you thought we would be leaving Luke chapter one just yet, think again! We are just getting to the part where we see and hear a first-hand account of the beautiful relationship between Mary and her relative, Elizabeth, an older cousin who is “advanced in years.” After Mary’s encounter with Gabriel, she decided to make the trek seventy or…
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The very eyes God gave us have the greatest ability to steal our faith by what we see. It happened to Peter on the water when he saw the boisterous waves, it happened to me in the hospital when I saw the reality of a tragic situation, it will happen to all of us. If the ability of what we…
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Before we leave the scene — you know, the one where the angel Gabriel has just told Mary she will birth the Son of God — and move on in the story, let’s just sit here a little while longer and ponder the magnitude of this encounter. As I read the words of Gabriel, I come to a screeching halt…
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