Follow Mary's lead

Luke 1:46
Mary said, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... The Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name."

Mary actually didn't say many words in the Bible. In this verse, she shows that she is wise beyond her years. This is her response to news that she is pregnant with Jesus. In her days, this was surely a death sentence. Either literal death or disownment by the family awaited her yet her response demonstrates her pure devotion and trust for God.

What would our response be if we got news of equal impact? I don't know about you but I would begin to scheme and figure out my own way out of the jam.

Today, we are faced with news of economic depression. Many of us are having difficulty in paying bills, lost jobs and hardships. Whatever it is, just take a moment to think about it. For just a few seconds, reflect on how dire your situation might be. Now take a deep breath.

Can you follow Mary's lead? Try it:

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... The Mighty One has done great things for me - holy is his name."

What do your gifts reflect?

Isaiah 7:14
The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

This is an amazing prophecy hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Its also amazing the way he came to be on earth as Immanuel, "God with us."

Its funny (or maybe not) how many in this season are consumed with what they should get for Christmas. We miss the whole point of the season in our fervency to check of items on a list and checking it twice.

As you think of giving someone a gift, I think we should be thinking of the greatest gift God has given us. That even while we were yet sinners, his gift of salvation through Jesus and the deposit of His power Immanuel within us is the greatest gift ever.

Nothing can match such gift but in commemoration of this graceful fact, we should think about what we give in this season. What good is accomplishing our list of gifts if none of the gifts we have to offer reflects God's greatest gift to us?

The time was just right.

Galatians 4:4-5
When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Over 2000 years have gone by and the Jewish and Muslims are still waiting for a Messiah. What made 2000 years ago the perfect time? What if God had waited longer? Would today be different?

In my opinion, it was the perfect time. After years of suppression and violence the world had reached a time of relative peace and prosperity under Roman rule. The Roman Empire extended through much of the known world and created an infrastructure prime for God's Gospel.

Roman roads connected cities afar, a common language connected the Empire and a common law structure provided order in a vast society. While the Roman Empire was oppressive in many ways it was instrumental. I was like a drought that had stricken most of the known world and primed it for a great wild fire.

The time had fully come for God to light the match. The fire of the Holy Spirit spread through the Roman Empire. On a roman road to Damascus the fire hit Paul, an instrument of the Roman law who clearly had deep understanding of the land, the people and the system.

Soon the fire would spread through him. It was the perfect condition, the perfect time, God the chief architect like many other times was ready to clean the slate. This time, he was ready to put in place, his final solution to man's fallen state. He was ready to extend his great mercy and adopt us as his children to grant us inheritance of his kingdom.

The time was just right.

We get the straight story.

Hebrews 1:1-2
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

How fortunate we are that in these last days, we get the straight story! Straight from God within us, thank you Emmanuel.

Have you ever done a funny exercise where you line up a group of people and you start one story at one end then go down the line re-telling it to each other? By the time it gets to the last person, its a totally different story! Thanks be to God that we no longer have to rely on hand me down information.

God speaks to us personally through his Son. He speaks to us the simplicity of his love for us and his immense forgiving grace. The story is no longer discombobulated with traditions, regulations and rituals. Its clear, soothing and comforting.

I still love reading the stories of our forefathers and prophets, but it is great to know that God sent his glorious Son to save us and give us the straight story.