Impossible

Read

Luke 1:26-31 “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.’”

Think

Gabriel must have found himself perplexed when tasked with his divine mission. Accustomed to wielding fire and parting seas, he likely anticipated a glorious spectacle to unfold on earth—a divine descent in an explosive chariot, a cloud, or an eruption of light. However, to his surprise, Gabriel was dispatched to deliver a message to a humble teenage peasant in Nazareth named Mary. His God-given directive: instruct her to name the baby "Jesus."

Imagine Gabriel's thought process: the Creator of stars and heavens entrusts a young girl with a monumental task involving a baby. He conveyed the message to Mary, assuring her of God's plans and urging her not to fear. Though unable to address all her questions, Gabriel knew someone who could, which was sufficient. He directed her to the one who knew the answers.

In your current circumstances, you may be wrestling with more questions than answers, struggling to comprehend the events in your life. Here's the news: the God of the impossible eagerly awaits your call and wants to talk to you.

The Christmas story is all about God doing the impossible- God became a man, indwelt a virgin. Nothing is impossible with God; Mary knew the story of Sarah giving birth (Genesis 18:14) and would have known the saying, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" She would have known the saying from Jeremiah 32:17 when the Babylonian Army besieged Jerusalem and Jerusalem was taken captive, but God promised they would go back home, and they did. Mary knew, and so can we! So, as we talk to the God of the impossible and ask for miracles, let's trust him in the face of our impossible. At Christmas, the impossible happened: a virgin had a baby. The baby was God.

Apply

Think about the times when we expected God to work in grand ways, yet his plans unfolded in seemingly ordinary or unexpected ways. How can we learn from the entire Christmas experience and embrace God's unconventional methods in our own lives?

Tackle a challenging project or task that you've been hesitant to start, reminding yourself that with faith, 'nothing is impossible.' At home, initiate a family discussion during dinner about times when each person faced something they thought was impossible and how they overcame it, drawing parallels to the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus.

Speak to Jesus about the impossible things in your life. Ask him for strength to believe in great things.

Pray

God, I believe you are a miracle-working God. I believe you came from heaven as a baby, and you want to use me to do amazing things. Show me today how I can partner with you to see amazing things happen in my life and the lives around me. In Jesus' name. Amen.