How Can This Be?

Most of us have heard the story.  We hear it every year in December, the story of a young virgin who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a Savior.  It is the whole "reason for the season".  This year is no different.  I have heard it preached, I have seen the nativities around, I have read and reread the story myself.  Two things can happen when a story becomes familiar to you, the first is we read it just like a story and it loses it's power or we read it, over and over and we really see it for what it is....

A Miracle.
A miraculous gift that was given to all mankind, given to us in the body of the most indefensible, helpless package, a baby.  

“ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 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. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this be?”  (Luke 1:28-34)  

How can this be? This is a question I have asked God multiple times.  Haven't’ we all? I can think back over confusing and disterbed moments of my life.  When I thought my marriage was over before it really began, when the doctors told me my daughter might never walk, when we felt led to start a church in a city we had never been, when we had $50,000 to raise in 6 weeks and only had ¼ of it. I have asked God how? How can you possibly do this?  I am sure you can think back on your life and pinpoint the moments of "how can it be".  

As I look back over my list I am going to tell you what I see now, a 15 year happy marriage, an eleven year old girl who not only walks, but runs and pitches a softball hard enough to bruise her Daddy.  I see a church built from nothing but faith that is growing and reaching the lost that began with more than enough finances because of God’s miraculous provision.  Here is what I know, God can do the impossible in our lives when we choose to believe Him and take Him at His word.  

As I think about the story of Jesus’ birth I wonder what would have happened if Mary refused to believe the angel. Would God have chosen a different vessel?  I believe God was sending Jesus with or without Mary’s cooperation. He was going to accomplish His plan and wanted to use Mary to do it.  We always have a choice to partner with God to accomplish His plans on earth.  It is whether or not we decide to surrender our will to his that determines how that takes place.

The Angel goes on to say, “For the word of God will never fail.”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
(Luke 1: 37-38)

Mary’s response was pure faith, it was pure belief that God’s word was about to come alive within her.  It is faith that creates the miraculous in our lives today, over 2,000 years later.  God’s word never fails.  I know a glimpse of what God wants to do in my life, I believe it, but there are days when my prayer is “I believe but help my unbelief”.  I don’t want to ever look back on my life and wonder what could have happened if I had chosen to believe God rather than be distracted by doubt and questions.  

Here is my encouragement in this holiday season, whatever it is you are asking God for, believe that He will respond.  It is through your belief in Him that the miraculous, the impossible and the unexpected with happen in your life.  It is when you choose to see Him in every situation, good or bad, that He can work.   What a better time to see miracles than the time we are celebrating the greatest one of all.