Stress Test Devotional May 11
May 11, 2024
LUKE 1:26-27 | 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Mary shows us that a willing spirit begins with an openness to the variety of ways God communicates His plans. In this passage, called traditionally the Annunciation, Mary gets her shocking message about “the birth to be” from Gabriel, an angel.
God uses many means to deliver His messages. He plants a new and holy possibility in our minds, He draws our attention to a portion of Scripture, He uses our inner intuition, He employs a dream or an unlikely messenger. Mary was certainly not expecting Gabriel to show up! I am often surprised whom God uses in my life to call me to account, to suggest a new idea, to reveal a special pathway, or to issue an invitation.
This simple young girl was invited to bear the hope of the world, to be mommy to the Son of God. It was an invitation to immortality. She accepted, despite the unknowns, the embarrassment, and the challenges. Mary is famous in every generation (as she predicts “every generation will call me blessed!” Luke 1:48). She is the subject of more paintings, more songs, and more writings than any other woman. She is a model and mentor for millions.
How open are you to the various ways God reveals His will?
Has God ever surprised you with an unexpected messenger?
Mary got an invitation to immortality. So do we, if we also allow Jesus to be birthed in our lives. Do you understand His invitation to you?
