…You have found favor with God ~
“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30 NKJV). It is difficult for many of us to conceive of the notion, that Mary, the mother of our Lord was probably between the ages of fourteen and nineteen when she was visited by the angel of the Highest and told that she, as the virgin vessel, was chosen to birth the Christ-child into the earth realm. While the Bible does not specifically indicate how old Mary was when Jesus was born, most historians speculate that she was chronically a teenager at the time of Jesus’ birth. According to Jewish traditions at the time, a young virgin might become betrothed to a young man as early as age twelve. However, the physical consummation of their marriage through the traditional ceremony and physical intimacy would not occur until she and her betrothed were legally and spiritually married sometime later. Mary is one of the most beloved persons in the Holy Bible. In fact, “Ave Maria”, one of the most revered and beloved pieces of Christian religious music, celebrates Mary and her divine favor. The most popular version has the melody written by the great composer Franz Schubert, typically sung in Latin, and is widely sung at churches throughout the world, and is a perineal favored hymn. The translated words state, “hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
While we celebrate Mary and thank the Lord for her obedience, we would do well to remember that her faith had to be very great in order to effectively trust the Lord despite being pregnant while confessing, “I was never with a man.” Can you imagine what was said about Mary? I can hear the town gossiping, “Yeah right….Em hmmmm. Holy ghost….right…..Wasn’t she with that Joseph?” We get a real glimpse into Mary’s character and steadfast faith when she tells the visiting angel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:35-38 ESV.
Mary’s teachable moment speaks to all of us across the centuries. Pregnant. Unmarried. No proof whatsoever to the outside world that God indeed had touched her with the Holy Spirit, so that she could conceive a son without ever having been physically intimate with a man. This must be the greatest kind of loneliness. Loneliness that comes when others may not understand what is happening to us even though we know we have heard from God.
Perhaps in your decision making to end a relationship, seek new employment, or give up an activity, you too are lonely and frustrated because you have no proof to offer the outside world that your decision is the correct one. Understand this, God is mindful that to obey him often defies the logic and wisdom of this world. You are in the company of Mary. Like Mary, the three Hebrew boys when thrown into the fiery furnace, went in believing that God was with them and that they would obey Him despite what their circumstances dictated. This is when loneliness transforms into no longer being lonely but simply alone with God. There is a difference. It is ok to be alone when you are alone because you are trusting God and following Him. God knew that when Mary chose to be obedient, she would feel lonely. He did not want her to feel lonely. This is why he allowed Joseph to have confirmation that Mary had not sinned and was not trying to be sneaky and say she was pregnant with the child of the Holy Spirit. Consider Matthew 1:20 (NIV) “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” In the end, when you are obedient to God and you have been sincere in your decision-making based upon Godly principles, God will allow you to find favor with those who may have doubted you.
Like Mary, you may feel isolated…..alone….unsure. But Mary gives us the best example. She took stock of her situation and knew she was honoring God, so she chose to continue to obey Him despite the harsh tongue wagging in her community.
God has told some of you to stop hanging out with certain people. You have listened to Him and now you feel ostracized and lonely in your community. Perhaps you have lost friends or loved ones who have stopped speaking to you because you chose to be obedient to God rather than do what others wanted you to do. Consider this, after giving birth to Jesus, the savior of humanity, Mary and Joseph married and she did not remain a virgin forever. She had other children with Joseph. She was very instrumental in the early church and Jesus’ followers loved her. Her character spoke volumes. The Lord is not a respecter of persons. He allowed Mary to find grace and favor and He will do the same for you if you are obedient. The Lord says to you, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. (Joel 2:25, New Living Translation). So let us agree as Mary did, “let it be according to your word Lord.”
Elder Jerome Woods, II is the husband of Alana M. Woods and is the son of the late Jerome Woods, Sr. and Larina Woods. He is a Washington, D.C. native and associate Elder at High Calling Ministries pastored by George W. Hawkins, Jr. Elder Woods is a graduate of The George Washington University (1994) where he received his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with minors in Sociology and Latin Classical Humanities. Elder Woods received his Juris Doctorate in 1997 from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
“Understand this, God is mindful that to obey him often defies the logic and wisdom of this world.”
This right here!!!!