Do you Hear?
As Luke closes out the nativity scene he leaves us with the cameo of Mary, "pondering all these things in her heart." What things? Certainly it had been quite a year of events that all started when God chose to make an announcement to Mary's cousins husband, Zacharias.
God announced to Zacharias that his elderly wife was going to have a baby. Note that God did not come to ask Zacharias permission. God came to announce His plans and to allow Zacharias to make the adjustments in his life that would best be suited as God was acting. It was now Zacharias, who had lost his ability to speak due to his reluctance to hear God speak, who becomes the spokesman for God to announce to Elizabeth what God is about to do. Imagine how that conversation must have gone. A man who can not use words tries to tell his elderly wife she is going to be pregnant and it is God's doing! But Elizabeth was not listening to Zacharias, she was listening to God.
Now God comes directly to Mary and announces that she is going to become pregnant and that it will be without the usual role of a husband. After a brief moment of clarification, Mary acknowledges that God has spoken and she gladly brings her life into full cooperation with God. But who will tell Joseph? God chooses to handle that one and He announces to Joseph that He has been at work in Mary's life, the pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit,. Joseph need not hesitate to follow through with his marriage covenant. Joseph heard God, he believed God and he obeyed.
Four people who had their lives totally reversed all in response to hearing the voice of God. Perhaps a couple of points that might transcend one historical event and two centuries of time. First, God still does not come to open negotiations, He comes to make announcements. Second, God does not come to explain what he is prepared to alter in order to make His plans conform to the wishes of our lives, He announces His plans and we adjust (obey).
God will not likely come to you to announce an impending pregnancy, but why should we not expect God to continue to come to speak to us? And is it not reasonable to conclude that even if it is from the pages of Holy Scripture is it any less God speaking and is it to treated less than God speaking?
So this Christmas season, do you hear? History changes, lives are transformed when people hear.
God announced to Zacharias that his elderly wife was going to have a baby. Note that God did not come to ask Zacharias permission. God came to announce His plans and to allow Zacharias to make the adjustments in his life that would best be suited as God was acting. It was now Zacharias, who had lost his ability to speak due to his reluctance to hear God speak, who becomes the spokesman for God to announce to Elizabeth what God is about to do. Imagine how that conversation must have gone. A man who can not use words tries to tell his elderly wife she is going to be pregnant and it is God's doing! But Elizabeth was not listening to Zacharias, she was listening to God.
Now God comes directly to Mary and announces that she is going to become pregnant and that it will be without the usual role of a husband. After a brief moment of clarification, Mary acknowledges that God has spoken and she gladly brings her life into full cooperation with God. But who will tell Joseph? God chooses to handle that one and He announces to Joseph that He has been at work in Mary's life, the pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit,. Joseph need not hesitate to follow through with his marriage covenant. Joseph heard God, he believed God and he obeyed.
Four people who had their lives totally reversed all in response to hearing the voice of God. Perhaps a couple of points that might transcend one historical event and two centuries of time. First, God still does not come to open negotiations, He comes to make announcements. Second, God does not come to explain what he is prepared to alter in order to make His plans conform to the wishes of our lives, He announces His plans and we adjust (obey).
God will not likely come to you to announce an impending pregnancy, but why should we not expect God to continue to come to speak to us? And is it not reasonable to conclude that even if it is from the pages of Holy Scripture is it any less God speaking and is it to treated less than God speaking?
So this Christmas season, do you hear? History changes, lives are transformed when people hear.
posted by Phil | 4:24 PM
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