December 9, 2008

Out of the Darkness

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luke 1:30–34


The molding process isn’t enjoyable, but it is necessary for a vessel to be ready for use in God’s master plan.

I once read this poem called “Out of the Darkness”:
Out of the dark forbidding soil
The pure white lilies grow.
Out of the black and murky clouds,
Descends the stainless snow.
Out of the crawling earth-bound worm
A butterfly is born.
Out of the somber shrouded night,
Behold! A golden morn!
Out of the pain and stress of life,
The peace of God pours down.
Out of the nails—the spear—the cross,
Redemption—and a crown!

Even in the midst of trials or troubles that come your way, God is working His good. Let’s go back over 2,000 years. Imagine you are a young person. You love and obey your parents and are faithful to God’s house. You have spent your life seeking to live by God’s laws and to live a holy life.

Suddenly, an angel comes to you and announces that you will be accused of a crime. But not to worry because it will all work out in the end. You are puzzled, wondering what God’s purpose in something like this could be. But you agree to follow Him.

Then people in your town begin finding out about the accusations. Your friends leave you, your parents question you, and most everyone in your town ostracizes you because of the charges against you. You are an outcast, left to fend for yourself. How could God be in this? How could He have allowed this to happen? What was His point?

I imagine this is how Mary must have felt. She had lived her life in obedience to God and her parents, yet now she was told she would bare a child. Infidelity was one of the highest sins a Jewish woman could perform in her day. Even though she was overjoyed to be bearing God’s Son, she must have had to endure harsh treatment from others who doubted her story.

Even in the midst of Mary’s difficulties, God was working. He had a divine plan and was molding her to be the mother of His Son! What an honor!

Are you facing trials today? You never know what God is preparing you for through your trials. He uses difficulties to mold His children into prepared vessels, ready for His use! Rather than questioning His will, trust Him like Mary and subject yourself to His molding.

1 comment:

Sis. Tammy said...

Amen to that. So many times we loose site of the Lord in the midst of a tough situation or circumstance. We just need to keep our eyes on HIM and be faithful to what HE would have us to do.

Good post!