Delightful Unpredictability
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, 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. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38
INSIGHT
The Christmas holidays are a time of delightful unpredictability. The joy of ripping open a gift to find that one thing you didn't even know you wanted, surprise carolers who show up at your doorstep, the laughter that erupts during an impromptu snowball fight, mystery Santa sightings around town, and the sheer wonder of witnessing your neighbor's house transformed into a dazzling light show spectacle – it's all wonderfully unexpected.
During this holiday season, many families will gather together and read the Christmas story. Sadly, we've grown so familiar with this piece of Scripture that the oddity included within its contents often gets lost. Think about how unexpected that first Christmas was for a moment. Angels suddenly start appearing. There is a speechless priest named Zechariah who can't utter a word until his elderly wife Elizabeth gives birth to a baby.
To add to the chaos, when that baby is still in Elizabeth's womb it starts jumping for joy when it hears the voice of a pregnant teenager named Mary. Recently, Mary's world was turned upside down when an angel visited her and said she would conceive a baby with the help of the Holy Spirit. But, this wasn't any ordinary baby mind you; it would be the Son of God.
As a confused Joseph ponders how to handle this public relations nightmare, another angel appears to him in a dream urging him to go along with the marriage. So, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary make the long trek to Bethlehem, but when they get to their final destination, there is no room for them anywhere. Instead, the Savior of the world is born in a manger next to some startled farm animals on a silent night.
There was no fanfare, no big light show. Well, except for those stars that guided three wise men so they could throw an impromptu baby shower. Eight days later Mary and Joseph are at the temple with baby Jesus and are greeted by an overjoyed man named Simeon who had been hoping and expecting to see the Savior.
Only God could craft a story like this one. There is one thing you must know when it comes to understanding God's character: He is predictably unexpected. His love might be the same "yesterday, today, and forever," but the way He exhibits that love is unique to each one of us.
God is always relational, always redemptive, and always working for our good. We can rest in this fact. It is something we can build a foundation upon when there are moments of silence or life doesn't seem to make sense. God is there, and He is wooing us back to Himself, but probably in ways, we wouldn't expect.
Scripture is very clear about God's ways being higher, God's patience being longer, and God's joy being deeper than we can even think or imagine. Unfortunately, we are prone to believe our ways are best. We tend to project our will upon God by placing our expectations on Him. We reason that if we were a loving God, we'd do it this way or that way.
When God doesn't live up to our expectations, we panic, give up, or try harder to take control of the situation. Unfortunately, the only time when many of us worry about hearing God's voice is when we are desperate. Things happen all around us. God is always doing something, but we are often so consumed and busy with getting our way we miss it. In the midst of the unexpected, we must listen, surrender, and trust.
REFLECTION
Where do you have a hard time trusting that God's ways are higher than your own?
PRAYER
God, amid the silence, may I listen, surrender, and trust. May I not put you in a box or force my expectations and demands upon You. I want to display the courage that confidently trusts everything I experience and encounter knowing You are using it to shape my character. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.