Holidays

Overwhelmed Handmaid

by PamFord Davis 
12/18/13
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The angel Gabriel’s appearance startles Mary. She tries to make sense of her situation…. Gabriel begins to deliver God’s special delivery message. “Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women (Luke 1:28b KJV).”

Fear grips her soul; overwhelmed by an angelic visitation and his words, her countenance reveals her troubled mind. Gabriel reassures her and returns to his purpose for coming.

“Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor 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 (Luke 1:30b-33 KJV).”

Words, as swift arrows fly across her clouded mind, each ending with question mark punctuation.

Favor?

Conceive?

Son of the Highest?

JESUS?

Throne?

Reign?

Conceive?

A three-letter word spells out her confusion.

“How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (Luke 1:34b KJV)?”

She knew men casually, knew no man intimately. Overwhelmed, she learns the answer, the power of the Highest will overshadow her.

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35b KJV).”

Son of God!

Mary’s heart flutters as she begins to swoon. Wide-eyed she stands frozen in place as Gabriel shares a family secret. Her elderly relative Elizabeth is with child. His closing statement transforms Mary’s faltering faith of how to surrendering of now.

“For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her (Luke 1:37-38 KJV).”