NOTHING WAS AS IT ONCE WAS!

NOTHING WAS AS IT ONCE WAS!

Luke 1:35-38

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

          When Mary said “let it be done to me according to what you have said,” she laid herself upon God’s altar in total abandon to His will. Nothing was as it once was. Everything was out of place and unfamiliar but the sacrifice of personal comfort, ease was her gift to God. When she submitted the transaction was done and the angel departed. His job was finished. Hers was just beginning.

          Nothing was as it once was! Her body had begun to change. Her relationship with her espoused husband, Joseph would most certainly change. How could she tell him? How could she expect him to believe her? Her family would certainly question her. Even the familiar, though humble, surroundings of her home would never be the same. Would she indeed ever be able to call this place home?

          We are a pampered people. We have inserted into our belief system the idea that God exists to enhance our comfort, ease and enjoyment of life. When He demands that we abandon that comfort for His purposes we recoil and resist. We resent God’s demands upon our time. We resent His constant interruption of our plans. As far as we know, Mary did not resist. Nothing would ever again be as it once was.

          What has changed since Jesus came? Well, for one thing, mankind no longer needs to be a slave to the darkness of sin. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isa 9:2) For those who believe and receive Jesus, nothing will ever be as it once was. Praise the Lord!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

 

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

Dear Lord, let me submit to the rearrangement of my life by submitting to your will. Disperse for me the gloomy clouds of night and let me join the chorus of those who sing your praises.  AMEN