Pleasant Stone Devotional Meditation: December 21

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God … And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” ~ Luke 1:35, 38

Here is another “opal-like” verse shot through with “fire.” Let it hold your attention. There is so much here for us today.

Mary was a virgin when the angel told her these amazing things. She had lived a clean, moral, lovely life. A life deep in the things of God. And yet, here was the angel Gabriel telling her quite bluntly that “thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son …”

Mary knew God was in this. She lived so close to Him that she recognized His voice. But what courage and what devotion she must have had not to complain or at least try to reason with God. Mary knew God was in the heavenly visit, but what about her husband-to-be? What about Joseph? What about her family and friends? Mary would be a social outcast! Her child would have no legal father.

But what did she do? Did she run to Joseph and ask his advice? No.
Did she run to her mother or to her friends? No.

She loved God so much she was willing to be misunderstood, if He asked it of her. She would obey and trust Him with consequences.

The coming of the Holy Ghost upon us, follows normally as a beautiful result of obedience like this. We will be overshadowed by Him when we want to be. When we are, at last, willing to stop defending ourselves. When we are at last willing to obey before we have all the answers from God. When you and I are simple enough to obey, regardless of the consequences, “the power of the Highest shall overshadow” us.

“... be it unto me according to thy word.”