Mary did you know?

As is my case lately, I tend to be attacked with self doubt. And when this happens I beat myself up because I am a strong Christian leader, who should not doubt the Word of the Lord!!! Right? Well, in my prayers and cryings out to God, (which is why I feel he lets me doubt, because otherwise I would get a big head and forget to be on my face before Him, because I am too busy doing the Lords work!!!! Praise the Lord, He keeps me humble!!) Well He brought me to Mary, the mother of Jesus. And here is what God started to reveal to me. First of all, we tend to picture Mary as this perfect, pious woman. You know with the halo around her head. Obviously she was Holy right? Well, she was probably 14 or 15 years old, and we all know how teenagers are. I was thinking, that for God to have chosen her, she probably had to be pretty spunky!!! Think about it. An angel appears to you and tells you that you are going to have a baby, and the father is God, and you will not be with a man until after the baby is born!!! OK first thing she says is "not me God!!! are you sure you got the right house?" She asks how this is possible, and the Angel says "don't worry God will do it!!" And she says OK, if you say so! And the Angel leaves. Now that is a pretty awesome word from God, how can you doubt it??? And yet we all get pretty awesome words from God, and we still doubt. I believe that God knew that she would question what had just happened, and figure that she was just insane. No one would believe her. So that is why he told her about Elizabeth. Scripture says that Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant, when the angel told Mary about her. Then it says that Mary went to see her and that she stayed 3 months. And after Mary left, John was born. So with these figures in mind, Mary went to Elizabeths right away. So when Mary came around the bend and Elizabeth saw her, Mary was probably not even 1 month along!!! She probably wasn't even sure yet if what she was feeling was actually her being pregnant or her just so scared that she was feeling sick!!! But Elizabeth cries out "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, but why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Mary needed this confirmation to her word. She was going to go back home, and tell everyone that she was expecting, but it was not her fiance's baby, but God's. She was probably assaulted and ridiculed on all sides. Everyone was against her. Her fiance didn't even believe her at first, it took a 2x4 from God for Him to believe her!!! I believe that she went through all of the emotions that we go through, one day excited and elated about God's calling and purpose, and the next crying out going "God I can't do this, it is too hard, why me?" And God consoled her, God comforted her, and God chose her. She was human, made mistakes, and yet she was a strong woman of God. She chose to believe no matter what came to her, whether from the outside world, or from her own inner turmoil. She continued to lean on God's promises to her, GOD'S PROMISES TO HER!!! His voice spoke to her, and she had to believe it!!! Believe it!!! Even when it looked like it was not possible!! She believed it!!! Luke 1:26-58

In conclusion, God used an ordinary girl/woman, and gave her an extraordinary purpose, (ya that is you too, he has given us all extraordinary purposes) and with much frustration and faith God got the glory in her life!!!! He WILL in yours (and mine) too...

I Love you