She Said “Yes”

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”  - Genesis 3:15

Take close note of the reference in this prophetic scripture -“…her seed…”.  We all know, or should know based on your age, that conception comes from the seed of the father and the egg of the mother.  This prophecy was directly from the Lord to the serpent in the garden after he had deceived Adam and Eve into sin.  In this case though God references “her seed” which can be connected to Isaiah 7:14 – “Behold, a virgin will conceive….” 

Mary, Did You Know

Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby, you kissed the face of God?

Oh, Mary did you know, ooh

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
The sleeping Child you're holding is the great, I am
 

In Luke’s 1^st chapter, verse 30-31, the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, “So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall give Him the name Jesus.”  The child would be conceived without a man, but through the Holy Spirit coming upon Mary.  Therefore the zygote, the embryo, was conceived with perfect, sinless blood.  Unlike every other human up to that point and since (other than Adam and Eve) who are created through the seed of the man (filled with sin through generations from the original sin in the garden). 

Did Mary know everything the angel explained to her?  Who knows, but it is unlikely that she could fully comprehend everything that her son would go through in his life.  From scripture we learn that she knew:
- He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High
- The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David
- He will reign over the house of Jacob forever
- His kingdom will never end!
-  the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God

In the custom of that day she would have relied heavily upon her father as the spiritual leader of their household to understand scriptures.  Many prophecies had foretold of the Messiah, and here the angel Gabriel had told her that she would bear this child, the Messiah, the chosen one of God, Immanuel.  Could she have understood all of the prophecies which spoke of his persecution, tortuous death and resurrection?  Most likely not, but she trusted in God’s plan and humbled herself to be used in His plan, even if that meant being disowned by her family, her betrothed and her community.

In Luke 1:38, “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”  She knew what the Lord wanted her to know and nothing more.  So when we think about this wonderful, beautiful song, Mary-Did You Know, we have to be honest and say, NO.  There is no way she knew everything that was to come and everything that her son would do for humanity.  But, we are all so blessed that she trusted in the Lord’s omnipotence and plan.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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Believing without Seeing

Read It, Learn It, Live It, Share It

"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” - Isaiah 7:11

  I have often times heard the cliché` - "God if you're real, just give me a sign." I've thought it myself, at times when I've felt completely helpless or desperate in a situation. There’s comfort in the physical evidence and reassurance that God is there for me, and that what I have learned and felt is real.  I know my faith is true and my belief is unwavering, yet my humanity steps up at times and I become overwhelmed with anxiety when the situation is extreme or I am feeling helpless.

 There are those that completely refuse to believe God is real without some physical proof, a sign if you will. Jesus himself stated in John 20:29 "...blessed are those that believe and have not seen." which also means there are those that do not believe because they have not seen. In our life of hurry up and wait, we are constantly bombarded with the commonality of circumstances. Miracles (signs) happen every day and are pushed aside as coincidence or science. There are so many stories of people who have been miraculously healed from a terminal disease, or were seconds away from a deadly crash because they lost their keys before they left home. How many people have told of their experience of not being on a plane when it crashed, or how 155 people walk away from the crash of USAIR 1549 nearly four years ago. Is the life of those individuals forever changed?  One would think that they stepped off that plane having survived and praised God for His mercy and grace.  Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.  Some stepped off thinking they were lucky or their karma was just right.  Face it, there are some people who just don't want to believe in God and are not going to accept the signs He gives us every day.

  In today's verse we find Isaiah prophesying to King Ahaz to ask God for a sign of unfathomable proportion. For whatever Ahaz would have asked for, God was prepared to provide the sign to put aside any doubt, even a sign that was greater than the highest heaven or the deepest hell. King Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign, for fear of putting God to the test. Isaiah then chastises Ahaz for his refusal, and delivers the prophecy from the Lord in v. 14 anyway: "Behold, the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." The ultimate sign God could have given.  He himself would come down to earth and walk amongst His people.

  You are surrounded by God’s handiwork every day.  Be observant of those little miracles and signs around you. Thank God when He shows Himself in situations, circumstances and events.  God loves you, and do not allow your faith to be diminished in those times of humanity when you can’t see Him, because of the obstacles before you.  Trust that He is right by your side, and will guide you every step of the way. Just remember, the greatest sign of all times was a baby born in a manger.

             

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