Finding Favor in the Midst of Fear
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…” (Luke 1:28-30).
by D’Janapha Fortune on Monday, December 11, 2023
In Luke, we read the beginning of a young girl’s journey to motherhood. That young girl is Mary, the mother of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Certainly one of my favorite heavenly encounters recounted in the Gospels, it demonstrates the beauty of the miraculous and provides us with insight into how we can embrace and steward the moving of God in our own lives.
Although we do not have much detailed context on who Mary was and what life looked like for her before this moment, we know at the time she was living in the small town of Nazareth and culturally did not come from a prominent social status. Mary was what many of us would call an ordinary girl, just living an ordinary life. With this in mind, it is no surprise that Mary would feel frightened and perplexed when visited by an angel of the Lord. I mean, I can certainly think of the number of times I have been taken aback by an unexpected word from God. However, unlike Mary, I have often allowed a doubtful fear to fill my heart and cancel out the excitement and encouragement of that word. The reason for this response is a lack of trust in God’s character and reign in specific areas of my life (particularly that which I exert the most control over), or a lack of hope after waiting for what has seemed too long for any fruition.
“Mary was what many of us would call an ordinary girl, just living an ordinary life. ”
Mary shows us three ways to receive to God’s favor in the midst of fear as she responds, “…here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to his word” (Luke 1:38).
1) Humility: Mary humbly acknowledged herself as a servant of God purposed to carry out His will on earth. She did not allow doubt (in God or herself), social status or life experiences before the angelic visitation to mark her God-given identity. Simply put, Mary was anchored in who God always intended her to be.
2) Surrender: Mary surrendered to the unknown journey set before her, where she would inevitably change the course of history. Mary trusted God’s storyline and chose to align with it through the act of unhindered obedience.
3) Faith: Mary wholeheartedly believed God’s word to be so, despite its mystery and her limited understanding. Nothing (including time) would stand between what was already established in heaven and due to occur on Earth.
So, as we walk through this second week of Advent, whether waiting for the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise from God or hoping for a new word to renew our spirit, let us be encouraged by the posture of Mary’s heart and fearlessly trust the Lord and receive His favor.
“Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).