November 27, 2010 How God?

How God?

Day 13: Luke 1:34-37 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

“HOW will this be?” Mary said. I wonder what her tone was. Would she have spoken this with an attitude of “That’s impossible! No way can that happen.” Or would she have had a tone of expectation, “Wow! That sounds impossible, but I’m sure God has a way to make it happen. Tell me more.”
Based on Gabriel’s response to her, I believe her attitude was as the latter—not understanding how she a virgin would give birth to any baby let alone to the Son of God! But she was willing to hear the possibilities.
Mary’s ears and heart were open to God’s guidance along an unknown path. The tone of the story is that she was ready to go to a new place with God, and she was eager to learn how that would happen.
Mary must have had a great faith in God and a great love for God. She would have called him Yahweh. And she would have seen him as God the creator, God the Law Giver and God the freedom giver. Mary must have understood that following God is the pathway to freedom, even when the way looked impossible from her point of view.
That’s faith. Mary trusted God. She was assured “Nothing is impossible with God.” She took those words to heart. I pray that for you, too.


Pause and Consider: where you need to trust God the most today. Begin with prayer for that trust.

Savior’s Ways, Your Ways?
Read Titus & Philemon

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

WHAT IS salvation? It is God rescuing us from sin, isn’t it? He saves us from our sin. Salvation means we are right with him. And we will enter into Heaven when our time on earth is complete.
AND salvation is so much more! At the moment when we receive God’s gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit lives within us, and we take on an understanding that the ways of the world often oppose God’s ways.
Salvation, Paul says, teaches us to say “No.” to the world and to say “Yes.” to right living.
Do you ever think that because you have prayed to receive Jesus as Lord that it’s okay if you deliberately sin? I hope not. That is not salvation. That is an attitude of sin. “I can do anything I want. God will forgive me.” is a thought that comes from those seeking self, not seeking God. It is a thought of pride in self, not of joy in Jesus.
God’s salvation separates you from the world and unites you with him. Also in Titus, Paul lists several ways you may show your Savior to the world. I pray the Savior’s ways are your ways.


Pause and Consider: how salvation changes what you desire.