God's Vision and Our Questions
God’s Vision and Our Questions
There comes a time when God gives us His own vision of what He wants to accomplish through us. Most often, we may not have any personal interest in the assignment or at least from the onset, it does not look like we have any immediate thing to gain. I consider such visions or assignments as coming at the “Kairos” moments – meaning “Where time and destiny meet”. There are not too many of those opportunities or kairos moments in our life time. The young Mary, engaged to Joseph as we read in the first chapter of Luke had a kairos moment. Mary’s encounter with the angel is contrasted with that of Zacharias in that there is no indication of Mary praying to God to have a baby for God. On the contrary, we see Zacharias and Elizabeth had been praying to have a child. In other words, God initiated both visions but Zacharias was connected to a present need while Mary’s was not. It is apparently clear that Mary did not ask for it.
Luke 1: 26-38 (Also read Matthew 1:18-25):
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He 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, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."
38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
As we look at this encounter as reported by Dr. Luke, we can make the following observations:
1. God’s favor is first initiated by God. We do not merit his favor and God has a right to choose whom He wants to accomplish his purposes through. There is nothing that says that Mary was the most righteous of the young women in Israel. The angel rightly says it, “you are highly favored”. Likewise you and I are highly favored by God.
2. Being engaged to be married and being told that you will have a baby had a negative stigma in the Jewish culture. From the onset, what God wants Mary to do put her at a disadvantage. The biggest demands by God from us for obedience are going to cost us inconvenience and misunderstandings even within our families. In Matthew’ account (1:18-25), it said that Joseph considered divorcing Mary. However, God worked behind the scene to help Joseph understand that this thing is from God. Our God will do the same for you when He gives you His vision. Those who may be important in your life to get it accomplished will eventually turn to help even when they show initial resistance. However, to accomplish God’s will, for a little while you will be going through it alone regardless of who understands or agrees with you.
3. There will be some element of fear just like in the case of Zacharias. The Word of God to us still remains the same, “Do not be afraid”. And why not afraid? Because “you have found favor with God”. One day of favor with God is worth more than a thousand years of living in our own strength. The Lord says to us, “my grace is sufficient for you”.
4. God’s own vision carries with it God’s own signature. The child to be born, Jesus (meaning savior) is the Son of God and not the son of Joseph or Mary. When God gives you His assignment, it is for His glory only and your name may never be prominent.
5. The impact of the result of the obedience and the child to be born had unending consequences and will reach and influence the whole world. “His kingdom shall not end”. When we obey God at the “kairos moment”, generations after us are affected for good. The contrary is true too – our disobedience will affect generations to come.
6. “How will this be since “I am a virgin”. Unlike Zacharias, this is a question of process and not one of showing Mary a sign of whether it will happen or that the Word of God is true. Mary’s question indicates that she believed but she wanted more guidance or direction for obedience from God. This is the best position to be and not be in a doubting or faithless position. Once explained, Mary said, “May it be to me as you have said”. Our faith will come from the Word of God we read and hear. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:3).
7. Our big assignments from God can only be accomplished with the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. If it is something you can accomplish on your own without reliance on God, it is probably not his but your own “big idea”. “For nothing is impossible with God”.
What is the baby you can carry for God and bring to birth for His glory? Yes, it is not your baby but God’s. For each of us, it would mean different things at different times. It may not have happened yet, but look out for God’s own size assignment. It may be as challenging as adopting a baby just for God’s glory where you could just have been happy with your current family size. It could also be as hard as forgiving and accepting (as opposed to divorcing) a spouse for God’s sake who has sinned big time and been unfaithful to you. It could be any thing but it will be an assignment that is only for God’s glory. Are you ready for your kairos moment? Be a Mary and watch out for God’s encounter. May God help us not to miss the “Kairos” moment. Amen.
There comes a time when God gives us His own vision of what He wants to accomplish through us. Most often, we may not have any personal interest in the assignment or at least from the onset, it does not look like we have any immediate thing to gain. I consider such visions or assignments as coming at the “Kairos” moments – meaning “Where time and destiny meet”. There are not too many of those opportunities or kairos moments in our life time. The young Mary, engaged to Joseph as we read in the first chapter of Luke had a kairos moment. Mary’s encounter with the angel is contrasted with that of Zacharias in that there is no indication of Mary praying to God to have a baby for God. On the contrary, we see Zacharias and Elizabeth had been praying to have a child. In other words, God initiated both visions but Zacharias was connected to a present need while Mary’s was not. It is apparently clear that Mary did not ask for it.
Luke 1: 26-38 (Also read Matthew 1:18-25):
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He 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, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."
38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
As we look at this encounter as reported by Dr. Luke, we can make the following observations:
1. God’s favor is first initiated by God. We do not merit his favor and God has a right to choose whom He wants to accomplish his purposes through. There is nothing that says that Mary was the most righteous of the young women in Israel. The angel rightly says it, “you are highly favored”. Likewise you and I are highly favored by God.
2. Being engaged to be married and being told that you will have a baby had a negative stigma in the Jewish culture. From the onset, what God wants Mary to do put her at a disadvantage. The biggest demands by God from us for obedience are going to cost us inconvenience and misunderstandings even within our families. In Matthew’ account (1:18-25), it said that Joseph considered divorcing Mary. However, God worked behind the scene to help Joseph understand that this thing is from God. Our God will do the same for you when He gives you His vision. Those who may be important in your life to get it accomplished will eventually turn to help even when they show initial resistance. However, to accomplish God’s will, for a little while you will be going through it alone regardless of who understands or agrees with you.
3. There will be some element of fear just like in the case of Zacharias. The Word of God to us still remains the same, “Do not be afraid”. And why not afraid? Because “you have found favor with God”. One day of favor with God is worth more than a thousand years of living in our own strength. The Lord says to us, “my grace is sufficient for you”.
4. God’s own vision carries with it God’s own signature. The child to be born, Jesus (meaning savior) is the Son of God and not the son of Joseph or Mary. When God gives you His assignment, it is for His glory only and your name may never be prominent.
5. The impact of the result of the obedience and the child to be born had unending consequences and will reach and influence the whole world. “His kingdom shall not end”. When we obey God at the “kairos moment”, generations after us are affected for good. The contrary is true too – our disobedience will affect generations to come.
6. “How will this be since “I am a virgin”. Unlike Zacharias, this is a question of process and not one of showing Mary a sign of whether it will happen or that the Word of God is true. Mary’s question indicates that she believed but she wanted more guidance or direction for obedience from God. This is the best position to be and not be in a doubting or faithless position. Once explained, Mary said, “May it be to me as you have said”. Our faith will come from the Word of God we read and hear. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:3).
7. Our big assignments from God can only be accomplished with the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. If it is something you can accomplish on your own without reliance on God, it is probably not his but your own “big idea”. “For nothing is impossible with God”.
What is the baby you can carry for God and bring to birth for His glory? Yes, it is not your baby but God’s. For each of us, it would mean different things at different times. It may not have happened yet, but look out for God’s own size assignment. It may be as challenging as adopting a baby just for God’s glory where you could just have been happy with your current family size. It could also be as hard as forgiving and accepting (as opposed to divorcing) a spouse for God’s sake who has sinned big time and been unfaithful to you. It could be any thing but it will be an assignment that is only for God’s glory. Are you ready for your kairos moment? Be a Mary and watch out for God’s encounter. May God help us not to miss the “Kairos” moment. Amen.
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