Trust The Unknown

Looking back over Jeremiah he trusts God at what He said to him, even when the outcome of his own life was uncertain. As we are preparing to enter a New Year with all of its uncertainties, let’s look at a young teenage girl who put her trust in God when what’s about to happen to her left her facing the unknown.

We meet Mary in Luke 1; we don’t know what Mary was doing at the moment the angel appeared to her. How much easier it would have been if her mom were there when the angel announced to her she would become pregnant with the Son of God.  Mary questioned how could she since she was a virgin. The angel disclosed to her what would take place. Its implied in verse 36, and for the first time Mary finds out that her relative, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant, in her old age. The angel states, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Sure, it would be easy for the angel to believe he has been with God and saw all the works God has accomplished. For Mary, it was all she needed to hear from the angel. She started the journey of trusting God through the unknown in her reply in verse 38, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

How would she tell her family? What would Joseph do?

We do not know exactly when the Mary told Joseph she was with child, but we can play detective with what Luke and Matthew both say in their first chapters. In Luke, we see Mary goes to see Elizabeth and stays with her for three months. Elizabeth didn’t need to see an ultrasound to know Mary was pregnant. John made such a movement within her when she heard Mary’s voice and the Holy Spirit came upon her.

Next, in Matthew, we see that Mary has returned home and she with visible signs she was pregnant. Joseph refused to have her stoned and was thinking of divorcing and sending her away. Then God stepped in and in a dream, like another Joseph, He spoke to him in a dream telling Joseph that it was part of His plan for him to take Mary as his wife and to name the baby Jesus.

Then the census happened, it close to the time she would have to give birth. There was no way to make reservations at any of the inns in Bethlehem. When they got there, the rooms were all gone. Trusting, God was in control of the lodging Mary and Joseph followed the innkeeper instructions as to were them to go.  Now a good friend of mine, Andy Lee, has written a post on the significance of where Jesus was born in her post, The Night the Lamb of God was Born.

Many times throughout the life of Jesus, Mary had to trust God in the unknown. This next year let us do the same.

(Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash)