Have you heard a story you couldn’t believe? How did you react to that unbelievable story? Did you dismiss it out of hand? Did you laugh at the ridiculousness of it? Did you attempt to verify it, thinking there was a possibility it could be true? Or did you simply believe it?
Sometimes we hear outrageous stories. They sound so ridiculous that we think they are either incredible or there is no way it can be true. Whether we believe them or not may depend on the source of the story. If it comes from a credible source, we may believe it.
Now, put yourself in the shoes of a family member of Mary’s when she tells them she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Would you believe her? It had never happened before. In all likelihood, none of them had had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Add to it that Mary says an angel named Gabriel told her it would happen. Now, you know who Gabriel is. He appeared in various instances of the Old Testament, including Daniel who prophesied about the coming Messiah.
Now, put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She was betrothed to Joseph but not yet married. Two-thousand years ago, being pregnant and not married was risky business. She could have been accused of adultery and stoned. At a minimum, she would have been ostracized, ridiculed, and excluded from participating in any social gatherings. She might not have been allowed to go to the market. Mary accepted the risk in order to obey God’s will and follow his plan.
Mary is an example we can follow. God may put us in what we may determine is a risky situation. We may ask ourselves if we are willing to take the risk. Mary’s experience lets us know that God is always with us. If it is his plan, we will be more than fine. We can trust that he has our best interest at heart and will take care of us as long as we are following his plan.
I pray we follow Mary’s example of following God’s plan. I pray we have the courage to take the risk on God. I pray each one of us will decide to obey God and trust he will take care of us. Follow Mary’s example. Follow God’s plan. Take a risk on God. Obey God. Trust God.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit.
Marty Pressey 