Highly Favored

“Greetings, you who are highly favored!
The Lord is with you…do not be afraid. ”
Luke 1:28, 30 (NIV) 

Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent and we lit the first candle in our Evans family Advent wreath last night. James Bruce was home from Rainbow Omega for the Thanksgiving weekend and was so excited about singing Christmas carols and blowing out our Advent candle. One of the greatest blessings of having a special needs adult is always celebrating Christmas through the eyes of a child. James Bruce selected our Christmas songs and chose two really good ones: O Come All Ye Faithful and Joy to the World. Bruce and I remembered our children pastor's admonition to stick to the recommended and time-tested “Advent B" plan for family devotionals:

  • Be brief

  • Be biblical

  • Be beneficial

Last night’s scripture passage was taken from Luke 1:26-35, the Gospel writer Luke’s account of Gabriel’s angelic birth announcement to Mary. Gabriel’s first recorded words to Mary were, “Greetings, you are highly favored!” (Luke 1:26 NIV)

If an angel suddenly appeared and said, “Don’t be afraid…you have found favor with God,” most of us would automatically assume that we had suddenly hit the proverbial jackpot: perhaps a job promotion or an unexpected inheritance.

Biblically, however, “finding God’s favor” means finding God’s grace. And finding God’s grace always means dying to self. Consider the following individuals who all found favor with God before they were called to do hard things;

  • Noah built an ark

  • Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned

  • Moses led a nation of whiners and complainers

  • Ruth left everything to follow Naomi

  • David fought Goliath and

  • Esther interceded for the lives of God’s people

And what about Mary? Immediately after being told she was highly favored, Mary learned she would become an unwed teenage Mom to God’s only Son. (Luke 1:32). The shame and disgrace that Mary would suffer at the hands of her neighbors would be nothing compared to the eventual heartache of the sword that would pierce her own soul (Luke 2:35).

We can learn a lot from Mary’s obedient response to God’s call on her life. Mary not only willingly and humbly accepts her God-given task, she rejoices! Her joy, however, is not in her son, but in her Savior (Luke 2:46). By keeping her eyes up, Mary looks beyond her circumstances and sees her salvation! May the same be true of us as we celebrate the Advent season and prepare our hearts for Christmas and Christ’s birth.

christmasDonna Evansadvent, family, worship