The journey of faith

Bible passages: Luke 1:26-38

The Christmas story contains many kinds of ‘journey’, the greatest being that which Jesus took from God’s glory to become our Saviour. Yet for that to become a reality, required a number of ordinary people to make very significant journeys in their own lives. As we look at their journeys, may we be encouraged to make significant journeys for God, this Christmas season.

We begin with Mary, who would be the mother of our Lord Jesus. Most writers reckon Mary was between 14-16 years at the time of the angel’s visit. Think of yourself at that age: how strong, vital and influential was your faith in God at that point in your life? What had been the main influences on the development of your faith at that period (if you had any clear, personal faith at all)?

That Mary had a genuine, personal faith in God is evident from the first time we see her in the gospel of Luke.

(Read Luke 1:26-33)
Briefly think about what the circumstances of Mary’s life were at the time of this visitation.
What would her plans/dreams have been for her future, do you think?
How does she react to Gabriel’s words (v28), and why?
It seems that Mary was given this greeting by the angel, not for anything she was about to do for God, but because of the life she had already lived so far.
Mary was already showing extraordinary faith in God.
What of you and me? It doesn’t matter what age we are. Mary was in her teens, but Abram was in his 70s when God first called him. All that matters is that when God comes powerfully into our life experience, that we are open to faith in Him.
’The power of God will take you out of your own plans and put you into the plan of God’ (D.L.Moody)

Mary shows us,

*Faith is…believing that what God says will happen

That this is what Mary’s initial response was, is confirmed by Elizabeth’s later words to her (Luke 1:45). Believing what God says is the essence of faith, even when it confounds what we may think or others might say, is reasonable. Faith’s role is to grasp that which appears impossible or strange to human eyes and to believe it more than anything, because God says it.

See Hebrews 11:6. Does this describe the quality of your belief?

(Read Luke 1:34-38)

*Faith is…acting on what God said to her

Mary’s question in v34, should not be interpreted as one of unbelief (like that of Zechariah in Luke 1:18), but rather one of wondering ‘how?’ God could bring this to pass. She did not doubt God would do it, and was willing to be God’s servant for it to happen, whatever the personal cost to herself.

Do you only exercise faith when something seems possible or achievable for you to do, with a little help from God?
Do you only offer yourself as a servant, when it is something that fits in with your plans, or keeps you in your ‘comfort zone’?

Consider what Mary had to face when she told Joseph, when the news leaked out to the townsfolk. What does Mary’s response to the angel tell us about her readiness to put God over every other consideration?

*Faith is…trusting God to live for Him

Faith is more than believing in our heads. Faith is more than even showing it by our actions. (Could it not be argued, after all, that many of the Scribes and Pharisees were doing this?). The third, and essential element of faith is that it must be seen in a willingness to trust the whole of our lives, our future, our destiny, to God.
Faith is head, hands and heart.

How do the words of Mary in v38 suggest this? How does this differ from the world’s most common prayer, ’My will be done…'?

Is Mary’s prayer your prayer for your life?
Could you pray, this prayer from Wesley’s Covenant service?

Lord, place me in your kingdom in the roles you have designed for me.
Lord, make me your servant.
in exalted places, or humble places.
let me be full; let me be empty.
let me have all things; let me have nothing.
I freely and gladly embrace my place in your kingdom.