Welcome to Day 3 of the Chase family celebration of Advent! Join us as we look at the powerful emotions that Mary experienced during the nine months of her pregnancy as she anticipated the birth of Jesus.
At the time when Gabriel appeared to Mary, to her knowledge angels had not appeared in Israel – let alone in Nazareth – for over 400 years. No wonder Mary was frightened. But she was also…confused.
The angel has told her that she is going to become pregnant and have a son named Jesus. Luke tells us in 1:29 that Mary was perplexed and disturbed by this announcement. “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”
Her questions are reasonable. Her world is turning upside down. When she woke she had a list of things to do…buy fish at the market, sweep the floor, fetch water from the well. All seemed important but now? All her priorities for that day are reordered. None of the pieces of her life seem to fit together any more.
In 2004 I signed a book contract for a new release. The manuscript was complete. The labor and delivery of the publishing process had begun. Suddenly a new editor nixed the entire project. I wept as I saw my “baby” shoved back into the womb. I was confused. Hadn’t God led me to prepare that manuscript? Two years passed before I found another publisher. But during that time certain events freed me to share stories in the book that made the message so much more powerful. During those two years I was confused but God was not.
You and I may feel perplexed when God starts rearranging our world, but we can be certain that the outcome will be for His glory. Instead of feeling confused, we can be confident in the promise that Jeremiah 29:11 offers: “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
What pieces of your life don’t appear to fit together? Can you replace confusion with confidence, knowing God is in control?
