We want to experience a miracle. We want God to reveal himself to us in a way that removes all doubt. We want Him to intervene into our situation- to change the unbelieving heart, to heal the disease, to make a way through the roadblocks we are up against.
Do we believe?
Christmas is a miracle. A miracle Mary believed first.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he told her she would become pregnant. She asked how this was possible since she’d never had sex with a man. Gabriel explained that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Notice Mary was not yet pregnant when the angel came to her. God doesn’t force his way into our lives and tell us about it later. She was given a say in the matter. She could have rejected the angel’s message.
But she didn’t. Her heart was postured to believe.
Mary’s first response: “Here I am, the Lord’s humble servant. As you have said, let it be done to me.” Luke 1:38
This young, teenage girl experienced one of the greatest miracle known to humanity. She was impregnated by the Holy Spirit with the Son of God. Jesus came into the world through a young girl who chose to believe first and then altered her life as a result.
Mary couldn’t grasp how her life would change in that moment. She didn’t make a list of pros and cons about whether this would all go over well for her. In one moment, Mary submitted her future, her reputation, everything over to God not knowing what would come next.
- To experience a miracle, first we must believe.
If our hearts aren’t postured to believe then even if an angel appeared to us, we would likely turn him away. God isn’t going to force his way through the doubt.
- The miracle usually looks nothing like we imagined.
I find comfort in that because when I get a little further down the road from the miracle and people start talking and comments start coming, I need to look back and be reminded this didn’t come from me. It helps me trust when things get rocky.
The angel Gabriel could have announced to the whole town the news about Mary’s miraculous pregnancy, but he didn’t. God isn’t concerned about keeping up appearances and avoiding misunderstandings. He’s more concerned about us trusting Him completely.
God’s way doesn’t make sense to human understanding. It shouldn’t. Sometimes it starts off uglier, sometimes it looks harder, sometimes it seems messy for a little while. Certainly there were some in Mary’s town who didn’t believe.
- The miracle we’re seeking may not be the miracle God has for us.
Some of us are knocking on doors that can’t open. They never will, and we have to accept it. God’s trying to move us to a different door, but our feet won’t budge. Trust that God is God and He is good. Trust that the miracle He has for you is one that will bring hope and healing in the end.
- Some of the greatest miracles require the greatest sacrifice.
Mary couldn’t have possibly known the pain and grief she would endure as a result of this miracle. Not every miracle feels like a blessing all the time. It will cost us something. But it’s worth everything.
I don’t know what miracle you need today, this week, or this year. Maybe another year has gone by and you’ve yet to see God move in the way you desire. Don’t lose hope. Keep believing and trusting God. Let Him guide your heart so that when He shows up, your heart will be postured to respond.
Believe for a miracle this Christmas. Read more about Mary’s response in Luke 1:26-45