December 7, 2024 Devo

December 7th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Birth of Jesus – Mary & Joseph
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!” – Matthew 1:29-30 (NLT)
“Trust and Obey”

“Confused and disturbed.” Has that phrase ever been a description of YOUR journey of faith? What’s funny in this story is that it seems like it wasn’t the angel that disturbed Mary as much as what the angel was saying. Why was he calling her “favored?” What in the world could an angel of God want with such an insignificant person as she?
We’re looking back on this story, so we see what God was up to. But Mary didn’t. Think about it. She was young. She had no experience, no education, and no special training. She was also a female. Men ruled the culture of her time. Who was she that God might be calling her?
This was just the beginning of Mary’s confusing and disturbing thoughts. The angel was about to tell her that she was going to have a child, though she had never known a man. And that child was going to be special…unique…the Messiah. It was all more than Mary could wrap her mind around. Mary was about to embark on an entire life of “confusing and disturbing.” God was up to more than she could ever imagine. But the good news is she didn’t have to understand. She only had to trust and obey.
The same is true for us. God continues to work in mysterious ways in our lives. I’d be willing to wager that there are many of us who would say that “confused and disturbed” would be a perfect description of how we’ve felt lately. We don’t know what God’s doing. We don’t know where He’s leading us. We don’t know what God is trying to accomplish or how He’s going to do it. The good news is, we don’t have to know. We just have to trust and obey. It’s okay to be a bit afraid. It’s okay to be a bit uncertain and anxious. It’s okay if it feels a bit out of control. Because it is. At least, out of YOUR control. But God knows where He’s headed. And He knows how you fit into His plans. He knows what He’s trying to do IN your life and THROUGH your life. So if things feel a bit crazy and chaotic and you have absolutely NO IDEA what God is up to, relax. God is not your Co-pilot. He’s your Pilot. All you have to do is trust and obey. That’s God’s Word for you today.