I have to admit, that would startle me (realistically, pretty much strike me speechless to the core of my being)!
The huge difference between teenager Mary in Biblical times and teens today is foundational Truth. Most of the time we miss the really important facts about the back story of Mary & Joseph. I like how the author of the PW Devotional today puts it, " Mary was a small town girl who apparently grew up in a family that took faith in God seriously. She wasn't sinless or perfect or a superhero, but she knew the Scripture and she was ready to be used by God for whatever mission He might have for her. Because she believed Him."
I spent some time with Jameson recently. He said he hadn't been sleeping well. He said he kept waking up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. So I asked him, "Did you pray? Did you ask God what was going on?" His reply, "No. I didn't even think to pray. But I will next time."
Most of us are like Jameson. We are wakened in the middle of the night and are alarmed, scared or frustrated that our welcome sleep was interrupted. Remember what happened two weeks ago? Miss Irma was awakened at 1 a.m. and the Lord put me on her heart. So she prayed for me. Then, much to my encouragement, she revealed to me on Sunday she had been praying for me! I so needed that from the Lord! As you may recall, Frank and I had been crying out to God all week, "Are You there? Do You see what is going on? Don't You care!?"
Because Miss Irma was obedient and practicing Hebrews 10:23-25, "(23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (24) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (25) not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.", God answered my prayer. He was saying, "Yes, I hear you. Yes, I care. Trust Me."
I hope you will be challenged and encouraged by the account of Mary in today's PW Devotions.
You may not have an angel calling you by name, but if you are a child of God, you have Him, through the Holy Spirit calling you by name to trust Him, obey Him...wait on Him. How are you being used by God today?
| Faith Like Mary: Small Town Girl Posted: 14 Dec 2009 01:34 PM PST "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." (Luke 1:26-27) Of all the people who hang out in the little nativity set we drag out every year at this time, we know the most about Mary. (Aside from the baby, of course.) We're going to spend the next week or so talking about her faith, courage, and unplanned pregnancy. Mary is like you in that she was probably a teenager. She's not like you (just guessing) in that she was engaged to be married to a much older guy. She's also not like you -- or me -- in that the angel Gabriel came and talked to her. Face to face. He said her name. Mary was a small town girl who apparently grew up in a family that took faith in God seriously. She wasn't sinless or perfect or a superhero, but she knew the Scripture and she was ready to be used by God for whatever mission He might have for her. Because she believed Him. Think: Do you expect God to use teenagers to do big things for Him in the world? Do you expect Him to use small town people? Do you expect Him to expect you to be available? Pray: Ask God to help you not to take yourself off the list of the people you expect Him to use for hard and important things. Do: Read about Gabriel's first baby announcement in Luke 1:1-25 and notice this week how that conversation with an old guy named Zechariah compares with the one He had with a teen girl named Mary.  |
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Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/
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