I finished the 90-day devotional by Beth Moore on King David last week. I admit I was sad to see it end. However, I have moved on to another of her 90-day devotionals called Jesus, The One and Only, based on her Bible study by the same name. Her latest book in this series is based on John, but I just knew I had to do Jesus next. After all, He truly IS the One and Only. (Just so you know, I would have done the Jesus devotional first, but when I was looking for a devotional book in Walmart, David was what they had. :->)

I finished Day 4 today, but Day 3 is what I actually want to talk about in this post. As usual, God totally knows what He is doing. How else would it be that I would start this book during the Christmas season, and the beginning starts with Mary being told she is going to bear the Savior of the world?

Beth pointed out something in yesterday’s post that I thought was really cool; it was something I had never considered before.

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.” 38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Notice verse 36. Beth pointed out that even in the midst of being given news that would forever change mankind, God also knew the ramifications for the young girl whom He had chosen to be the mother of His Only Son. She was already betrothed to Joseph. In those days, a betrothal was the same as if the couple were already married. A divorce would have to take place for the betrothal to be broken. By law, Joseph could have had her stoned.

God loved Mary so much, in the middle of the greatest news ever given, He had Gabriel tell her of the pregnancy of her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist way beyond her childbearing years. Gabriel was not only confirming for her that nothing is impossible with God, which he told her, but God gave her someone in whom she could confide, someone to talk to about this momentous thing that had been told her.

How like our God! He loves us so much! He sees to every detail. My heart is so full knowing that just as He did for Mary, He also does for me. How can I not love Him?

Sweet Blessings,