Then Gabriel says, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (ver 32). This is not exactly the news Mary would have been expecting. In fact, it is terrible news!
How was she going to explain this? In those days, an unmarried woman who was expecting a child was to be put to death! Not to mention the fact that she had to explain that this child was going to be brought by the Holy Spirit (verse 35). All of this must have left Mary thinking, “How can this be God’s plan?”
She would not, however, be the first one to ask that.
Think about Noah building his great big boat, for years and years (Genesis 6). Do you think that maybe some of his neighbours thought that he had lost his mind?
What about Abraham? He gets up one morning and announces that he is moving. When his friends ask where he is going he tells them that he does not know because God has not told him yet (Genesis 12).
Think about Moses. He comes in from shepherding his flock to tell his father in law that a burning bush told him to go to Egypt to demand that the most powerful man alive release a bunch of slaves (Numbers 3). Interesting!
Then there is Joshua. Leading the army into a new country, he comes upon a city with a very large wall. How will they get in? Will they ram it, sneak over it, or dig under it? No! Joshua says that God told him to walk around it and blow their horns! (Joshua 5)
One of the things that you will learn as you read the word of God is that, “God’s plan often does not look like it could be God’s plan”.
My point: If we are always playing it safe and doing what makes sense, I wonder if we are really following God or just ourselves.
Not every crazy idea is from God, but sometimes being faithful means taking some risks and doing the “right thing” and not just the “sensible thing”.
Just ask Mary!
“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8).
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