You will conceive and give birth to a son…Jesus. “How can this be?” Mary asked.

Luke 1:26-33 NIV

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, [27] to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. [28] The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” [29] Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [30] But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. [31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. [32] 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, [33] and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Mary was troubled

Luke 1:34 NIV “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” It does not make sense.   I have never been with a man.

Mankind wants to understand everything. We watch Doctor Phil or Doctor Oz to understand.  We want to comprehend the mysteries of life and emotion.  We want to know how and why the outcomes of life happens.   If we can just get an understanding then maybe we can better manage events and feelings of our own lives.

obstacle – the need to understand the process.  The need to understand why Godly things will not work in your situation.  We need to process the promises of God in our situations and come up with exceptions of why it may not work. In our life, everything comes through the mind first for evaluation and acceptance or rejection.

This is a human trait.  God gave us our brain and soul to understand.  This is where Mary is in the encounter with Gabriel.  She is told something wonderful that Israel has been waiting for.  But Mary is stumped.  She is a virgin.  All the marvelous promises the angel is sharing are stalled because Mary knows and understands how a baby is made.  She needs to understand what the angel is promising and can’t.

 FAITH vs UNDERSTANDING

God is beyond understanding.  His powers are beyond comprehending.  Out of nothing, God spoke, and all matter came into being.  And by God’s power, all things are still in existence.  “Matter” is not an accident.  It cannot be explained by chance over billions of years.  God spoke…and it was.  It’s beyond understanding.  You have to disengage your mind and just believe.

By FAITH Abraham believed God even when his body was old and Sarah was beyond the years of giving birth.  They had a son because God said they would.  One of my favorite verses in Abrahams story is Romans 4:18-21

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.

 

With God,

You don’t need to UNDERSTAND…

you need to “STAND UNDER.”

 

 

When Mary said she did not understand how this could happen, the angel answered in Luke 1:35-38 –  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

And although Mary did not understand…she decided to “stand under” the promises of God. 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

This power of the Christmas story is not to bring the understanding of how  God works in your life…it is to STAND UNDER His promises and believe.

 

Don’t try and figure out God works  Just stand under His presence,  worship and believe He is God.  Call upon His name.  He wants a relationship to release His powers and promises. Don’t reason how God can’t work in your situation. Just believe and STAND UNDER His word.  Allow God’s presence to fill your heart.  The fuel of your lightnside is not the mind, it is faith!  Say with Mary,  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Right now,  don’t reason, just ..STAND UNDER  this promise: “unto you is born a savior, Christ the Lord” …Believe.