Luke 1:30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. English Standard Version (ESV)
When reminded that God does not give us any burdens we cannot handle, Mother Teresa replied , "I know, but sometimes I just wish He didn't think so highly of me." I read that quote in a devotional yesterday and immediately thought of Mary as being the "highly favored one" which led me to today's verse. When you go back through the Bible, you might consider most, if not all of the saints of the past to have been favored by God. But think of Abraham, Joseph,David, Jonah, Paul and the other apostles. Their lives were far from easy, they were full of challenges and trials, but if you had the opportunity to pose the same reminder as posed to Mother Teresa, they probably would have responded in much the same way. With all of the things that have taken place in your life or that of your family and close friends, how would you respond it the same thing was posed to you?
The common denominator in all of these people is that they learned to trust, to believe in God and His faithfulness in and through the trials, again, standing in that broad place with a distant view of the glory of God in all things. That faith, that trust, and that view are things that don't come from ourselves they are endued by the grace of God. It is so with us as individuals and as a church.
These thoughts brought to mind a couple of lines from the hymn "The Church's One Foundation".
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
With every grace endued.
Mary pondered the things which the Angel told her, she treasured them in her hear and pressed on with every grace endued. What are you facing today? May you be able to press on with every grace, that the Amplified Bible (below) refers to as being "free, spontaneous, and absolute favor and loving kindness" that God provides.
In Christ,
Mike
Mike
Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Luke 1:29-31Amplified Bible (AMP)
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
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