Happy Sabbath friends! In honor of the Christmas season, I plan on doing a little Christmas special for you all. Every blog post for the next four weeks (including this one) will be about the story of Jesus’ birth! I pray that as we go through the story of Jesus’ birth together during this joyful season, that you find a blessing in the readings of His Word, and may the Lord Jesus be with us all.

The first blog post of the Christmas season will be about the birth of Jesus being foretold to the Virgin Mary. Let us now delve into the story…

“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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”
Luke 1:26-38 NIV

What I love about this piece of scripture is how reassuring the angel, Gabriel, is to the Virgin Mary. He first approaches her by stating how highly favored she is by the Lord, and then reassures her with the fact that the Lord is with her. It’s such a calming way that the angel approaches Mary with shocking news that she will be giving birth to the Most High. Imagine in your life if someone approached you suddenly and dropped a complete bomb on you. No reassurance. Nothing. Let’s say someone approaches you and is like “Hey, you are going to die in two weeks. Good luck!”. I know I would feel an intense feeling of anxiety, but God knew that this news of being pregnant when she is still a virgin and a soon-to-be wife, would most likely bring on an immense amount of anxiety. That is why the angel, Gabriel, approached her in a way of delicacy and care because the news was such a shock.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Even in moments where the unexpected is brought upon you, or you may feel you cannot handle a situation all on your own, remember Isaiah 41:10. The Lord is with you, just as He was with Mary during this time. If you are ever looking for reassurance and/or a reminder from our Heavenly Father that we are highly favored, or that He will never leave us, just open the Word of God and there will be all sorts of assurances and reminders. Even when you feel you cannot handle a situation, the Lord reminds us with this story that He will strengthen and help us. He will carry us through whatever obstacle we may encounter along the narrow way.

Another portion of this scripture in Luke that caught my eye was when Mary questioned Gabriel as to how this will even happen since she is a virgin. I love when Gabriel states: “No word from God will ever fail”. Amen to that! Every word that comes from the mouth of our Lord Jesus is true, constant, and everlasting. We just need to open our hearts, ears, and minds to Him and allow His words to speak upon our lives, and allow them to transform us into a new being. The choice is yours, but I can speak confidently over the fact that when I gave my life over to God, His words have remained true, constant, and everlasting. I will be so very grateful to our Heavenly Father for that, and much more.

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.”
Psalms 33:4 NIV

““Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
Proverbs 30:5 NIV

I pray over every person who is reading this message that they are filled with the Holy Spirit. I pray that when they are faced with fear, or the unknown, that they will trust in the Lord and allow Him to take full control over their lives. As we know, every word that comes from the Lord’s mouth is true, constant, and everlasting. We also know the Lord is with us wherever we may go. Help us to believe this, and truly allow it to influence our lives that our God is so loving, powerful, and true. He will guide us out of every storm we may encounter. He will speak purpose amongst our lives. He will never forsake, nor leave us. Thank you Jesus for Your everlasting love and grace that You pour over us all abundantly. We love you, Lord Jesus.

Amen.