Tuesday, December 6 – Luke 1:35-38

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Today a lot of things happen regularly that people once considered “impossible.” People fly to different destinations, we can speak to each other across the world almost instantly, and tasks that once had drawn out processes can now be done in record time. In a world that has developed to accommodate so many of those things once considered impossible, it is easy to lose our awe over the work of God. God is the author of the impossible, He has been doing what we see as impossible throughout history.

When God gives us an impossible, uncomfortable, or overwhelming prompt, may we remember this about His nature. Mary trusted God, not because the events made sense or there was the technology available to accommodate such a plan but because she trusted that God is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. In Isaiah 44:6-8, God said, “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; and, let him confront me beginning with my establishing of the ancient nation. Then let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.” Do we live like we believe these things about God?

When you are confronted with an uncomfortable situation or overwhelming news, remember that we serve the God who came down from heaven and did the impossible so that He could be with us always. He became a man so that we could be reconciled with Him. We don’t have to feel distant from Him anymore, believing the lie that the matters of our lives are either too much or too little for Him. In Christ, we are freed from despair and given hope.

• What are some things in your life that feel impossible, even for God?
• What are some things you know about the character of God? How does that shape your response when you face impossible moments in life?
• Pray and confess to God the things that feel impossible.