Mt 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
This must have been a very difficult time for Mary. She had an encounter with an angel and she is told she will get pregnant without a man being involved. In our day of genetic manipulation this just seems weird and strange, but not impossible. In her day it was impossible. And yet the usual signs of pregnancy appear in Mary. Her cycle stops and perhaps the other physical signs appear. She gets larger and more tender is certain areas. Maybe she even feels a little flutter. It would have been the impossible conversations that would have been the hardest. In a day when only married people got pregnant, this was strange indeed. The other class of unmarried women that got pregnant were prostitutes. Can you imagine being labeled a prostitute when you had never even been with a man? And then there is her fiancé. What is he going to think and do? The turmoil in her mind must have been overwhelming. But God had given her a message. And she trusted in that message. In our times of turmoil, where do we turn? As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus, are there areas of our lives that we need to trust Him more? Are the finances, or lack of finances, giving us opportunity to worry? Is there a physical issue that seems to be overwhelming us? Is a relationship falling apart right in front of your eyes? Mary couldn’t afford a baby, but God provided. She was pregnant and God provided. She might lose her fiancé, but God provided. Are you willing to trust that God will provide? I hope so. God wants to grow us in our faith. He does this by allowing circumstances that give us opportunity to trust. When our resources, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual resources, run short, God wants to empower you so that you will know that He is who He says He is. He wants to remove the bits of doubt that remain. Trust Him today.
The Arnold Journey 