December 18, 2020

“…for nothing will be impossible for God.” – Luke 1:37

Today we have this quote from Luke’s gospel which is part of the angel Gabriel’s answer to Mary’s question, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” If you ask me, Mary had good reason to ask this question. Her mind and heart must have been spinning as she tried to grasp what was happening to her.
All of us probably have a different image of what this encounter looked like—Did an actual being appear to Mary? Did she hear God’s voice in her heart? Was there a bright light?

In the end, it doesn’t really matter how it looked or what Mary experienced; what matters is that Mary said yes. She trusted the angel’s words and believed that “nothing will be impossible for God.” As a result, her Savior and ours was born; God became incarnate and the world was changed forever. The one true God was faithful.

I think Mary’s ability to trust the angel came from a place of faith. And I think that is our challenge—to grow our faith. Advent is winding down and if it hasn’t been the period of hope and joy and growth you wanted it to be, don’t lose heart. There is still plenty of time to grow. Every day, every minute of every day, God gives us new chances to lean on Him, to walk closer with Jesus, to ask the Holy Spirit to come and to rule our hearts and minds. So, start in this moment. Say yes like Mary. Ask God to take you by the hand and walk with you today. God will do it. God is faithful. God is here, and “nothing is impossible for God.”

Come Lord Jesus, come.



©Mary V. Pribbenow