Merry Christmas

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!" Mary asked the angel, "But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin." The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left. (Luke 1:26-38 NLV).

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas. By tonight Mary and I will be in Texas with our family enjoying opening gifts, food, and fellowship! I’ve actually had some fun shopping this year though I know that’s often that’s not the case. If you’ve ever done any shopping with your young children you will identify with the following experience. Not long ago I saw a young couple walking ahead of us in the mall with their young daughter. Her Dad was getting ready to get on the escalator to go down and he said, "Now hold Daddy's hand." She apparently didn't like that idea. She looked up at him, "That's OK, Daddy. I'll hold my own hand." As I recalled that moment it occurred to me that our Heavenly Father does the same thing from time to time with us. He reaches our direction and He says, "Hold Daddy's hand." Maybe you've got a mind of your own, an independent spirit. And you respond, "That's OK, Daddy. I'll hold my own hand." Just as it is not a god idea for the little girl to ride the escalator without her father’s hand, so it is not good for us to walk through life on our own either.

In our reading today we see God telling Mary to hold His hand. Now if Mary had insisted on holding her own hand, she would never have gone. God is leading her into a situation where she will suddenly be mysteriously pregnant. And who's going to believe that God is doing it? She has a lot to lose if she takes God's hand and goes where He wants to take her. But listen to her response to God's plan. "I am the Lord's servant." Those five words change everything. God's most special assignments are for those who will hold God’s hand. He’s always there beside us asking us to hold His hand. It is our decision whether or not to do so. He doesn’t grab us in spite of our desire. He asks. This Christmas, take your Father's hand and with child-like faith tell Him, "Lord, take me wherever You want me to go." Open arms, open hands, face looking up - say those five words that open you up to God's best - "I am the Lord's servant."