Nothing is Impossible With God

ByJim Stephens

Reading: Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossble with God.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38 NLT)

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and rocked her world with the news that God had chosen her to give birth to God’s own Son, the long awaited Messiah! She was afraid! She couldn’t understand how she would become pregnant because she was a virgin. Then Gabriel told her that her “too-old-to-have-a-child” relative Elizabeth was six months pregnant, because Nothing Is Impossible With God!

This is very likely the first Mary is hearing about her relative Elizabeth being pregnant! Mary lives in Nazareth and Elizabeth lives ninety miles away in the Judean hill country near Jerusalem. They probably only ever saw each other at Passover in Jerusalem.

We’ll think about Mary’s response tomorrow, but today let’s realize afresh that Nothing Is Impossible With God: Not angel appearances, old-age pregnancies, virgin births, situations like the ones we face that we can’t understand how it’s going to work out, how to keep going when you’re so weary and the way ahead seems so uncertain. Friends, there is hope for you and me because Nothing Is Impossible With God!

Prayer:

Father, May the angel’s words ring clear in our hearts and minds today as we face the realities of our own situations, challenges, and the obstacles we face in the year ahead!

We choose to believe Nothing Is Impossible With God! Amen!