“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:34–38 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, the one thing we share in common with Mary is astonishment over the mind-boggling, breath-taking, hope-pregnant promises you’ve made about Jesus. We too say, “How will this be?” And we hear you answer back, from the Scriptures, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Everything you’ve promised, with regard to Jesus, will come to pass—including redeeming his Bride from every nation, and making all things new (Rev. 21:1-5). But this assurance of fulfilled promises also includes everything you’ve planned for each of us, your children. We can trust you without reservations.
Just as surely as you placed the life of Jesus in Mary, you’ve done the same for us. Though in an entirely different way than Mary, Christ is being formed in us (Gal. 4:19). By the gospel and your Spirit, you are making us like Jesus. One Day we will love perfectly, with the kindness and compassion of Jesus. We’ll only think, see, and choose with the wisdom, eyes, and heart of heaven.
When you finish your work in us, we’ll never be selfish, petty, or defensive again. We’ll never get our feelings hurt, insist on being right, or demand more. We’ll think of others more highly, and more often, than ourselves. We won’t keep a record of anybody’s wrongs; instead, we’ll be incessant encouragers. We will be completely free, healed, and whole.
To all of these promises we say, “How will this be?” And you answer back, “Things impossible with man are possible with God.” To which we say and pray, “May it be as you have promised in the gospel, Father. We are your beloved children and servants.” So very Amen we pray in Jesus’ exalted and powerful name.
