The Birth of a Miracle
A devotional by Heather Martin
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Then the angel left her.” – Luke 1:38 (NIV)
Her name was Mary.
She was young, a virgin, who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph.
As was customary in her culture, engagement was about a year long, and a time of celibacy, and just as binding as marriage.
I can imagine that Mary and Joseph were busy like most couples are when they are planning to be married soon. Maybe they had already asked friends and family to be groomsmen and bridesmaids. Perhaps they were getting a guest list together, and reserving a venue for the reception. And Mary, like most brides, had probably already picked out a gorgeous dress or some special clothes to wear. Maybe she had already gotten fitted for her gown or had at least starting thinking about what she would look like on that special day.
All of this planning was likely happening, until God's angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. The Bible says in Luke 1:28 (NIV) that Gabriel appeared to her and said “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Well of course Mary was afraid and wondered what this greeting meant, but the angel told her not to be afraid because the news that he was about to give her was good news! Let’s read about what he said in Luke 1:30-33 (NIV):
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.”
Wow! That was a loaded greeting! Naturally, Mary questioned how this could be since she wasn’t married and was a virgin.
The angel told her some news that would’ve caused the average person to be terrified and in awe same time! He explained that the Holy Spirit would perform a miracle in Mary and she would be become pregnant with the Son of God! He even told her that her cousin Elizabeth, who was older and had been unable to have children, would also have a child (John the Baptist)!
Now I can think of a million ways that I might have responded to all this crazy news! I would have been in disbelief, like wait a minute Mr. Gabriel, this can’t happen right now. I’ve got other plans, I’m about to be married! No thank you, I need to fit into my dress. My fiancé will never believe me! Why me? Why now? The timing is just so wrong!
But the Bible records Mary’s reply in Luke 1:38 (NIV): “I am the Lord’s servant, ... May your word to me be fulfilled.”
What a totally amazing response! Mary completely trusted God. She did not question His sovereignty. Without hesitation, she called herself a servant. A servant is someone who places the needs of others before their own. In fact, her humble response is probably the reason why God had chosen her to do the job in the first place. Her complete trust and willingness to be used by God is nothing short of a miracle itself.
How much do we really trust God?
Mary’s ability to trust God so completely and unselfishly was not born overnight. You cannot trust someone who you don’t know or spend time with, becoming acquainted with their character and ways.
I pray that we will know God and unselfishly trust the plans that He has for our lives, no matter how crazy they may seem.
Let’s Pray: Help us, God, to be willing and ready to be used by You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
~*~
Author Bio:
As was customary in her culture, engagement was about a year long, and a time of celibacy, and just as binding as marriage.
I can imagine that Mary and Joseph were busy like most couples are when they are planning to be married soon. Maybe they had already asked friends and family to be groomsmen and bridesmaids. Perhaps they were getting a guest list together, and reserving a venue for the reception. And Mary, like most brides, had probably already picked out a gorgeous dress or some special clothes to wear. Maybe she had already gotten fitted for her gown or had at least starting thinking about what she would look like on that special day.
All of this planning was likely happening, until God's angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth. The Bible says in Luke 1:28 (NIV) that Gabriel appeared to her and said “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Well of course Mary was afraid and wondered what this greeting meant, but the angel told her not to be afraid because the news that he was about to give her was good news! Let’s read about what he said in Luke 1:30-33 (NIV):
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.”
Wow! That was a loaded greeting! Naturally, Mary questioned how this could be since she wasn’t married and was a virgin.
The angel told her some news that would’ve caused the average person to be terrified and in awe same time! He explained that the Holy Spirit would perform a miracle in Mary and she would be become pregnant with the Son of God! He even told her that her cousin Elizabeth, who was older and had been unable to have children, would also have a child (John the Baptist)!
Now I can think of a million ways that I might have responded to all this crazy news! I would have been in disbelief, like wait a minute Mr. Gabriel, this can’t happen right now. I’ve got other plans, I’m about to be married! No thank you, I need to fit into my dress. My fiancé will never believe me! Why me? Why now? The timing is just so wrong!
But the Bible records Mary’s reply in Luke 1:38 (NIV): “I am the Lord’s servant, ... May your word to me be fulfilled.”
What a totally amazing response! Mary completely trusted God. She did not question His sovereignty. Without hesitation, she called herself a servant. A servant is someone who places the needs of others before their own. In fact, her humble response is probably the reason why God had chosen her to do the job in the first place. Her complete trust and willingness to be used by God is nothing short of a miracle itself.
How much do we really trust God?
Mary’s ability to trust God so completely and unselfishly was not born overnight. You cannot trust someone who you don’t know or spend time with, becoming acquainted with their character and ways.
I pray that we will know God and unselfishly trust the plans that He has for our lives, no matter how crazy they may seem.
Let’s Pray: Help us, God, to be willing and ready to be used by You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
~*~
Author Bio:
Heather Martin was born the last of six siblings in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was raised by an amazing single mother (Rebecca Trotter) and was taught at an early age to love God and how to sing!
She graduated from Oakwood University with a Bachelor's Degree in Language Arts Education and later received a Master’s Degree in Education from Kaplan University.
Shortly after graduating she followed God’s call to minister. She joined the Stellar, Dove, and Grammy-nominated gospel group Virtue, which was founded by her two older sisters Ebony Holland and Karima Kibble several years prior. Virtue has used their talents to spread the love of God across the world! They have recorded 7 studio albums and have been the recipients of numerous awards.
God has not only blessed Heather professionally, but personally. She met her husband, Dr. Colin Martin, and they have been married for 14 years. They have four children: Colin Jr. 11, Harper 10, Clark, 7, and Charleston 5.
In 2016, Heather started an online blog and vegan and allergen-friendly cooking channel called “Chef Mommy.” Heather (Chef Mommy) has cooked with numerous celebrities and top chefs to spread the news of healthy cooking and lifestyle.
In addition to this busy schedule, Heather enjoys, running, reading, writing and spending time with her family.
~*~
Connect with Heather:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherTMartin
Instagram for Heather: https://www.instagram.com/thechefmommy/
Instagram for Virtue (Heather’s singing group): https://www.instagram.com/virtuegirls
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chefmommyhm
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