DECEMBER 16

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

LUKE 1:26-38


“ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” (Luke 1:29)

Amazing! The angel Gabriel didn’t say anything negative or derogatory to Mary. He said, “Hail,” which is the Greek word chairo that was translated “glad, joy, rejoicing” fifty-nine times in the New Testament. Gabriel told Mary to rejoice because she was highly favored of God, the Lord was with her, and she was the most blessed woman who had ever lived.

The reality is that most of us aren’t accustomed to praise. We’re too acquainted with our faults. We may consider it rude for others to mention them, but we can relate when they do. Praise is uncomfortable. It causes us to blush. When it comes from God, it can be frightening. Why is that?

It’s because we have a wrong image of God. We tend to see Him as a harsh, condemning, Almighty God instead of a loving heavenly Father. We expect judgment from Him, not mercy – and certainly not praise. God is Almighty and just, but above all things, He is love (I John 4:8). That doesn’t mean he overlooks sin. No! He deals with sin. Through Mary’s faith, her sins had been forgiven, and she was truly blessed of the Lord.

Amazingly, what we now have through Jesus is even better than what Mary had. If you are the least of all believers, you’re greater than Mary (Matt. 11:11). Yet, like Mary, we don’t tend to see ourselves as God sees us. If Gabriel had rebuked her, she probably wouldn’t have been troubled. She would have said, “It must be God.” Don’t make the same mistake. Recognize that all believers are blessed and highly favored of the Lord. Rejoice! (AW)