When There Is No Precedent
As we walk through the Christmas season, I tend to think about the story of Jesus' birth. You may be thinking, “Duh! We all do.” But I tend to think a lot about how cool and how weird of an experience that all must have been. You have angels coming down talking to folks, a king that is trying to kill all the babies, a pregnant virgin, and the Messiah being born outside and laid in a manger.
That is a lot of “firsts” for everyone involved.
I have been thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Imagine all that she went through and how new it was, not only to her, but to anyone.
Read: Luke 1:26-34
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
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! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
For Mary, there was nothing to lean on here, but what she was being told by the angel. No one in history had conceived a child while being a virgin. No one had ever given birth to the Messiah. No one ever had to raise the Son of God. No one had ever had to eventually watch that Son die for the sins of the world. For Mary, there was no precedent for what was happening in her life. She couldn’t call a friend and ask how to process it. It was all very new!
For many of us, we are going through a lot of “firsts” this holiday season. It could be your first Christmas without a loved one, your first as an empty nester, your first with a new child, or your first in a new home.
It may not even be your first. it could be your tenth, but it still feels like the first. Other people may have gone through the same stuff you're walking through, but for you, there is no precedent because it’s new to you.
This year, my family is going through a few different “firsts.” Some are great, and some are a little more difficult. One thing I am praying that I would become more aware of is what the angel told Mary.
“Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
In a season of “firsts,” there is one incredible comfort. The Lord is with me!
For Mary, that’s all she was told, but in reality, that was all she needed. If she had the Lord, He would be with her through it all.
This year, you may be going through a new or very familiar season. One constant is that He is there. He is with you as you read this devotional. He is close by and totally aware of what’s going on. He is not only with you, but He is for you.
Try reading Luke 1:28 again, but read it like it was written to you.
“Greetings, favored (insert name)! The Lord is with you!”
ACTIVATION: Take a few moments and write down some “firsts” that you’re experiencing or have experienced this year. If you don’t have any “firsts,” then write down some things that have constantly been on your mind. Try writing it in list form and leave several lines between each thing.
After writing…
PRAY: “Father, Your Word tells me that You are with me. These are some things that have been on my mind, and I want your perspective on them. Tell me what you want me to know about each one.”
After praying...
JOURNAL: Journal what you think the Father’s response to each one is. This practice will help you seek His thoughts about what’s going on in your life. It will also help remind you that He is always with you.
That is a lot of “firsts” for everyone involved.
I have been thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Imagine all that she went through and how new it was, not only to her, but to anyone.
Read: Luke 1:26-34
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
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! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
For Mary, there was nothing to lean on here, but what she was being told by the angel. No one in history had conceived a child while being a virgin. No one had ever given birth to the Messiah. No one ever had to raise the Son of God. No one had ever had to eventually watch that Son die for the sins of the world. For Mary, there was no precedent for what was happening in her life. She couldn’t call a friend and ask how to process it. It was all very new!
For many of us, we are going through a lot of “firsts” this holiday season. It could be your first Christmas without a loved one, your first as an empty nester, your first with a new child, or your first in a new home.
It may not even be your first. it could be your tenth, but it still feels like the first. Other people may have gone through the same stuff you're walking through, but for you, there is no precedent because it’s new to you.
This year, my family is going through a few different “firsts.” Some are great, and some are a little more difficult. One thing I am praying that I would become more aware of is what the angel told Mary.
“Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
In a season of “firsts,” there is one incredible comfort. The Lord is with me!
For Mary, that’s all she was told, but in reality, that was all she needed. If she had the Lord, He would be with her through it all.
This year, you may be going through a new or very familiar season. One constant is that He is there. He is with you as you read this devotional. He is close by and totally aware of what’s going on. He is not only with you, but He is for you.
Try reading Luke 1:28 again, but read it like it was written to you.
“Greetings, favored (insert name)! The Lord is with you!”
ACTIVATION: Take a few moments and write down some “firsts” that you’re experiencing or have experienced this year. If you don’t have any “firsts,” then write down some things that have constantly been on your mind. Try writing it in list form and leave several lines between each thing.
After writing…
PRAY: “Father, Your Word tells me that You are with me. These are some things that have been on my mind, and I want your perspective on them. Tell me what you want me to know about each one.”
After praying...
JOURNAL: Journal what you think the Father’s response to each one is. This practice will help you seek His thoughts about what’s going on in your life. It will also help remind you that He is always with you.
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