A Sure Thing

"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:28

And there you have it.

A lifetime guarantee.

When Mary heard these words, she couldn't figure out what kind of greeting that was - she was favored? The Lord was with her? Shortly thereafter, her questions were answered and she moved forward in God's plan for her life.

By the way, this greeting is not unique to Mary. As a child of God, it is your greeting as well.

Let me break it down for you. Mary was chosen by God and His continued presence would give her what she needed to be the woman God had called her to be, because when God calls, He also empowers. A lifetime guarantee. Same with you - God's Word is clear that He chooses and empowers, all the while indwelling. A lifetime guarantee.

Oh, but Kristen, are you comparing my call with the call for Mary to be the mother of Jesus?

Granted, to hold the Son of God in your arms and care for Him as a baby and a child is a huge privilege and a very high calling, but don't forget, you are a child of the King, as well. And you have a high calling - to bear fruit, to glorify your Father, to preach the gospel to those around you, to serve the body of Christ with your giftedness, to love your husband and raise your children in a godly home.

Mary didn't have it easy. She was pregnant before she was married, she had a difficult birth situation (come to class tomorrow to find out more info on that!), she had guests show up hours after delivering, she was given heart-breaking prophecies, she was given gifts from wisemen, she watched her Son be embraced and rejected, she listened to His teaching and watched His miracles, she saw her Son wear Himself to a frazzle, she watched her Son die a horrific, painful death of a criminal, she saw Him resurrect, and she fervently spread the news of His resurrection power with the apostles as they planted churches with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How did she do all this?

She must have been an incredible woman.

Well, in actuality, there is only one reason she was able to have the life she lived:

Because the Lord was with her.

Remember, with God, nothing is impossible. He empowers us to the task that He calls us to. He never gives us anything we cannot handle and He has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age.

Have you ever felt that what God was asking you to do was just simply too much for you? It might be to forgive someone, or to share with someone, or maybe it's as simple as to submit to someone. Remember, the Lord is with you - you can do this. He never asks anything of you that doesn't flow from the very character of who He is, all the while promising to be with you and to enable you to accomplish His will.

Technically, our guarantee carries into eternity, but I couldn't find an "Eternity Guarantee" picture on Google Images, so this will have to do. So, let's not take the presence of God in our lives for granted. Let's focus on it, be thankful for it and take advantage of it - stop making excuses and start living the life He's called us to live.