Posts with the label mary
Showing posts with label mary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mary. Show all posts
Sunday, November 28, 2021
The Days Were Accomplished
I woke this morning with the phrase "the days were accomplished" scrolling through my brain like an LED threatre marquee, over and over, I repeated it to myself as it crossed my mind. I began to drift back over the last 12 days, then 12 months, then 12 years. I googled the bible verse to refresh my memory of specifically how it is written. Luke 2:6 reads "And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered."
THAT SHE SHOULD BE DELIVERED. The first thing that struck me about the verse was "she should be delivered". Not Jesus, but Mary. The verse could have easily read; the days were accomplished that Jesus should be delivered. The verse points out the delivery of Mary not Jesus. The verse pinpoints the servant of God that willfully accepted the challenge he gave her.
THE DAYS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. This phrase is the reason I searched this verse today. I thought about the past year(s) leading up to Steve's diagnosis and subsequent double lung transplant. So many things could have hindered our days from being accomplished but God. Who else can accomplish our days but God?
WHILE THEY WERE THERE. Mary and Joseph had to be in the place where God would accomplish their days. They were there, in this place of uncertainty, for at least 9 months and surely more. While they were there, they struggled, anticipated, believed, waited to be delivered. The couple had to stay "there" where God had placed them. "There" where God had planned them.
AND SO IT WAS. Because God has the plan. He not only has the plan, it is a written plan. We make many plans as individuals but rarely do we put our plans in writing, to pen and paper, black and white. If we do take the time to make a proper written plan, we would most likely follow through. God had the plan for Mary and Joseph. God has the plan for Jesus. God has the plan for us and so it will be. He will faithfully follow his written plan. And so it was with Mary, so it shall be with us.
I've always correlated this verse to the Christmas Story of Jesus until this morning when God blessed me with a snippet of just how full, rich and encompassing his Word is. The message he gave me this morning is He is 'accomplishing our days' for his purpose and ours if we live in his will, our "while they were there", the place he has us in. We have no idea how many days it will take to accomplish his purpose nor how long we will be in this place. We simply must be there until he accomplishes our days, the fulfillment of his plan. However, we can put our faith in God's "And so it was" because his plan is unfallable and his word is true, we will be delivered!
Put yourself into this verse. Mine and Steve's goes like this...
And so it was, (God had a plan),
while they (Steve and Tammy) were there (going through illness and transplant),
the days were accomplished (3,650 days. 10 years. Steve was diagnosed 2011, his lungiversary was 2021)
that she (Steve and Tammy) should be delivered.
AND WE WERE!
Praise God for his plans. Praise God for his Word. Praise God for his Son. As God moves us into another Holy season of Christmas, may we always see and feel the magnitude of who he is. From the precious babe in the manager to the Almighty King of Kings,
He is...
and was...
and is to come!
Praising365,
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
5 Traits you need to be "Highly Favored" by God
"I can never be like Mary. She is the mother of Jesus!"
Is that what your brain screamed inside your head when you read Five Traits you need to be "Highly Favored" by God? You may be more like Mary than you think. Mary was an ordinary girl with an extraordinary purpose. No, we will never be the mother of Jesus but we are definitely part of his spiritual genealogy making it possible for us to be "highly favored" by God. According to my understanding of Scripture, here are five of the traits we need:
- Be a Virgin. Luke 1:27 ".....and the virgin's name was Mary." Impossible, right? Not exactly. If you have experienced rebirth through Jesus, you are a virgin. You possess the pristine untouched, untainted, flawless spirit of Christ. You are adorned in your bridal gown awaiting your bridegroom.
- Pay Attention to God's Messenger. Luke 1:28-29 "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him..." Can you imagine if Mary had ignored the angel that particular day? Hebrews 13:2 assures us there are angels among us if only we would entertain strangers and be aware.
- Fearless. Luke 1:30 "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary..." Now, this was a situation stirring up some fear. Mary was in an unconsummated marriage; PREGNANT! I understand why she might be afraid. She trusted, believed and delivered to the world a savior.
- Be Inquisitive. Luke 1:34 "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" It is okay to ask some questions, even of God. He doesn't expect us to accept status quo, rather, he instructs us to make sure we are following his commands. I John 4:1 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
- Be Obedient. Luke 1:38 "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word..." Mary accepted her calling with grace and humbleness.
No. We are not Mary. We are not the mother of Jesus. But, I am his child. Are you? And, who doesn't favor their children?
Seeking His approval,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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