As we move into Christmas, we cannot forget Mary, the mother of Jesus. Who was God in her life?
Mary was young, engaged, and about to start a new stage in her life. Yet, when we look for God in her story, we see that God often calls us to unexpected tasks.
“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.” Luke 1:26-34 NLT
God’s plan for our lives may not be what we expected. Even Jeremiah, in his prayer to God, confesses,
“I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.” Jeremiah 10:23 NLT
I am sure Mary never expected to be the mother of the promised Messiah. The one who would save the world from their sins. God is the orchestrator of our lives. He wills and moves according to His purposes.
God directs our steps.
Our lives are truly an adventure, and it is God who directs our steps.
“In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT
God is an active member of our lives. In the life of Mary, she was given the call the raise the Messiah. God guided her steps from day one. From providing gifts by the wise men for her and Joseph to flee to Egypt, she witnessed God’s favor on her cousin Elizabeth.
God does the same for us. God is always present in our lives. He is guiding our steps. Are we, like Mary, willing to allow our steps to be guided? Mary’s willingness to follow God’s call on her life is an example to us.
