Mary Did You Know

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“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  – Isaiah 7:14

 I sat in the waiting room just two weeks ago, waiting for the miracle of birth to enter into my family once again.  My daughter was giving birth to my 3^rd granddaughter – Isabella Grace.  As I sat there in the hospital waiting room, my mind was adrift in thought of who this baby girl would grow up to be.  Would she have blond hair like her mother, would she laugh with the same twinkle in her eye?  What was it like to be in the womb with God the Father right at that moment. What plans will the Lord have for her with the life He has given her?  How will she change the world for His Kingdom?  What an amazing life she will have.

Based on scripture in Luke’s 1^st book, Mary, the blessed mother of our Savior – Jesus Christ, knew that she carried the Messiah.  She knew that through God would fulfill this scripture of Isaiah 7:14 through her.  Nine months pass from the moment that Gabriel visited Mary with the news of God’s plan.  During that gestation period, Mary felt the Savior of the world developing and growing within her body.  There came that moment in the 4^th or 5^th month when her little waistline expanded beneath her robes.  Then she would feel a flutter, a tickle inside as the Savior rolled over within her womb.  With modern day technology time transported back to those days – an ultrasound would have shown Jesus Christ sucking his thumb, stretching his legs as a foot presses against Mary’s side as she feels him kicking. 

I envision Mary with her hands overlapped on her swollen belly, cradling her unborn child.  She sings him soft Jewish lullabys handed down from generation to generation.  Mary’s physical state would have been obvious to those in Nazareth by her 3^rd trimester.  Perhaps there were sneers and gossip amongst the neighbors.  Perhaps she lost the trust of her parents, or perhaps they saw the glorious plan of the Lord unveiling before their eyes and accepted it at face value.  Did Mary cry herself to sleep at night as she contemplated the scriptures of prophecy?  Especially Isaiah 53:5, describing how Messiah would be pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities and punished for our unrighteousness.  Did she comprehend these powerful words describing her son’s death?

On that glorious night in Bethlehem did Mary hold the baby Jesus close to her bosom with every intention of protecting him from any harm in life.  There’s no way she could have envisioned everything that Christ would bring to the world.  She could not have projected the miracles he would one day deliver.  We have no scriptural verification that Mary had any insight to Jesus saving grace, through God’s perfect plan.  As His body hung on the cross she wept bitterly.  She visited Him in the tomb just as she would any other beloved family member who had passed away.  None of this could have been envisioned by this young woman as she held her baby that night.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know,
that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered,
will soon deliver you

Prayer:
Almighty God,
You brought the Savior of the world to a young, God fearing virgin just as You said You would.  You brought forth Your Son in the flesh to walk amongst mankind, that we might learn from His actions, words and love.  You have given us the scriptures to learn from and to hold close to our chest in times of need.  Lord, help us to not miss Your plan of redemption and tribulation when it happens just as the prophecies say it will.  Help us to be watchmen on the alert at all times for the return of Messiah – In Your name we pray – Amen.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Welcome to our World

"From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.  I will ever praise you.” – Psalm 71:6

On December 4^th, 2013 at 12:34 PM Isabella Grace Dicker was born to my incredible daughter, Jayme Renee and her husband William Michael Dicker.  A blessing from the Lord is every life that enters into this world, each with an independent soul, gift and purpose in the Lord’s Kingdom.  There is nothing in this world as wonderfully complex, nor as beautifully intricate in detail as the human life, created by the Master’s hands.
When the water’s have broken and the baby is born, that treasured bond with the Creator has been made complete.  For nine months Bella and the Lord have been intimately connected.  Through the creation and formation of every cell, every follicle of hair, every bone, every tissue, tendon and muscle He was with her.  When her organs formed, and her heart began to beat, her neurological system began sending signals throughout her body, His process of creation was taking place.  When she opened her eyes, and moved her lips to suck her thumb, or stretched her legs against the walls of the womb in which she dwelt, He was instructing her through thought centered in a brain that had been created from nothing.  Then there came that moment when His Masterpiece was complete and Bella was ready for the world, based on the instructions, love and guidance placed in her heart and soul by none other than God himself.  Her purpose unknown, her path yet to be identified, but with the familiarity with God’s love, desire and passion she made her way into this world and the hearts of every person privileged enough to meet her.

Bella will change this world.  The Lord has a defined purpose for her life and those that come in contact with her.  As I held this baby in my arms for the very first time, tears welled up in my eyes to realize that only a few hours earlier she was in the presence of God Almighty.  Intimately in communication and fellowship with the Father of life and then she was here in my arms.  The miracle of a new born life, and yes it is a miracle, is overlooked so many times in the excitement of meeting your child, or in this case Grandchild #3, for the very first time.  I do not want to gloss over the enormity of what just happened. 

God created another human life to bring praise, worship and glory to His Kingdom and purpose.  She has been entrusted to Jayme and William, and our families, for a period of time.  In the life that she will lead from this point forward, she can either A) Grow stronger in her faith and relationship with God the Father through the love and teaching of those around her; or B) Grow away from the first relationship she has ever experienced with God the Father and learn from the world.  We are not responsible for her eternal life, God is.  But, one day she will come to a point of choosing to pursue the Father’s plan of salvation and purpose or not to.  We are responsible to ensure that she fully comprehends the depth of this decision and help her to realize the presence of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in her life.  We have failed her from the beginning if we do not take on that responsibility completely and earnestly.

As I held this precious baby Isabella in my hands, my heart longed to protect her from the world, from the cynicism, the pain, the suffering, the evil and the unrighteousness.  But I realized that she must face it and rely on the Father above to overcome it.  In this world there will be strife, suffering and pain; but He is above this world and through Him we can be overcomers.  For as we embark on this journey with this miracle from God, she will be seeking answers to questions and searching to fill the void that was left in her soul at birth.  You see, we are the ones who will corrupt her image of God, it is not something she can do on her own.  She has a perfect image of Him ingrained in her soul from the creative process, but the older she gets, the farther away from that perfect image she can drift.  The world cannot fill the God hole that was created when she was born and left the intimacy with the Father.  Over time this can become more distant if we are not committed to helping her pursue Him and hold onto the knowledge and wisdom He has already given her. 

Isabella Grace Dicker, I commit to you publicly today, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy word of God the Father as the single voice of truth in this confusing world.  I commit to help you pursue His purpose, His plan and draw you closer to His Kingdom calling throughout your life.  I commit to love you as Christ loves us and bring Him glory through the life He has given to you, so that you never forget the sound of your Father’s voice. 

Welcome to our world Bella.  I know you’re afraid, but hold tight to Jesus and you will be okay.  I love you more – Pops.

 

           

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
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