Finding Purpose, Hope and Joy Through Jesus’ BirthSample

Day 2 – Mary’s Purpose

Have you ever noticed that God’s purpose for you may be different than the one you had planned? Many of us have yearly goals or a 5-year plan. Maybe even a 10-year plan. And we’d bet that Mary, the mother of our Savior, had plans too.

She was engaged to be married to Joseph. They had plans—where they would live, how many children they would have, and how they would grow old together. But God’s plans were different. Mary was only a teenager when God revealed His daunting will for her life. She had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God. She suddenly found herself in the middle of an unplanned pregnancy without a husband.

For centuries, women dreamed of being the one chosen for this role. They eagerly awaited their Messiah. And Mary had been chosen. In our passage today, we learn how the angel Gabriel came to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Highly favored! This phrase comes from the Greek word which means, “much grace.” Mary received God’s grace.

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,” the angel said.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a phenomenal example of how to find purpose in whatever season of life you are in. As Mary progressed through her life, do you think she clung to those words from the angel? “The Lord is with you.” As she raised the Messiah—her Messiah—through His childhood years, teen years, and into adulthood, did she cling to that promise spoken from the angels years before? As she saw Jesus rejected and even crucified, did she hang onto that promise? “The Lord is with you.”

We have the same assurance as Mary. When God’s plans for us are different than we expect, the Lord is with us! He never lets us go.