I Believe Even When…

 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. … 37 “For no word from God will ever fail.”

(Luke 2 - selected verses)

“How will this be?” It’s a logical question, given what Mary’s just heard. A messenger from God has told her she will be the mother of God’s Messiah. The idea that a poor, young woman from a town that was literally not on the map in its time would be chosen to bear the Son of God seems crazy. The fact that she’s a virgin makes this even more ridiculous. Nothing Mary knew about how the world worked, how making babies worked, or how God worked would make this make sense. Still, we know how the story goes. After the angel reassures her by reminding her that “nothing is impossible for God,” Mary chooses to believe. 

How will this be? Maybe you are asking this question about something in your life right now. Nothing about how the world works, how people work, or how God works makes the situation in front of you make sense. There’s no answer to be found based on your education, wisdom, or life experiences. Yet, somewhere inside your soul, there is a promise from God reminding you that nothing is impossible for God. Will you choose to believe? 

Our Advent series this year is entitled “I Believe Even When.” These worship services invite us to remember the power of our faith and the hope it inspires. The line “I Believe Even When” was found on a wall in a cave where some Jewish people were hiding from the Nazis during WWII. While this was written during an unimaginable time of trial and suffering, the lesson still speaks to our current moment. It can be easy to lose hope when different challenges arise in life. Knowing that the sun is still shining even when you can’t see it demands a faithful resolve. It takes similar courageous faith to trust that God will see you through your troubles even when you have no idea how. Heroes of faith like Mary choose to believe even when. During these weeks of Advent and Christmas, we will consider how to hold onto hope, peace, joy, and love that only God can provide. We’ll also celebrate how that faith is rewarded in the birth of Jesus in our lives in new ways. The world is full of trouble and tragedy. Let the message of this Advent and Christmas season reinforce for you that nothing is impossible with God. Choose to “believe even when.”

Pastor Scott