Editor's note: "An uncommon Advent: the arrival of a Savior in our lives" is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the Concordia University Wisconsin community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God's Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound anticipation and zeal through the Holy Spirit.
December 4 – Faithful waiting
Isaiah 10:12-27a, 33-34 and 2 Peter 1:1-21
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said,“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:32-38 ESV
Waiting is part of our every day.
I know I am waiting for each of the next big and exciting things in my life as I have planned them: to graduate college, get married, and then start a family. Those future milestones are exciting to me, so being content in the waiting can be difficult.
Now, let us for a moment consider Mary’s season of waiting for the coming of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Mary was visited by an angel of God. The angel exclaimed that she would bear God’s own Son, the Savior of the world. With hesitation, she responded in willingness. There were certainly questions and concerns she still held—biological and otherwise—but her obedience to God’s will and plan were bigger.
Mary’s faith-filled response truly inspires me. She said, Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). What a bold statement! That is what faith looks like. Without question, this proclamation did not match the plans Mary had held for her next year of life. Still, Mary, unaware of all the next season would hold, willingly surrendered to God’s plan for her life.
Friends, my encouragement to you in this Advent season is to have a faith like Mary’s. While we cannot know what God has in mind for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can stand as His willing servant and seek His will.With faith unshaken by our present circumstances and trials, we can remain confident that we will see God’s promises for us come to be.
Payton Lovins is a sophomore studying special education at Concordia University Ann Arbor, and she is a student athlete on the university’s bowling team. View a full schedule of “An uncommon Advent” readings here.
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