“‘How can I be sure of this?’ ‘How will this be?’” Luke 1:18 and 34
It was a question I had been asking myself for a few days. Trying to finish up a project, I had run into a legal issue. Before I could do 1 thing, I HAD to do something else. The question before me was, “HOW?” I couldn’t do the project myself, so I HAD to depend on someone else to do the job. After making several calls, “HOW” was proving to be quite a problem!
Things are tough these days and every company in the building trade is slammed. When talking to potential contractors, I received lots of responses…and many non’s. Some told me they’d call back, meet, or get me a quote. Out of 10 companies, I received 4 responses. And NO one who said they’d get back to me…did! It is clear that what people SAY and DO are often 2 different things. Angels aren’t used to that!
These 2 quotes from Scripture sound very much the same. They were spoken by 2 different people. The first was Zechariah at Gabriel’s announcement that HE was going to be a father. The second was from Mary when Gabriel told her SHE was going to be a mom! Though the words SOUNDED similar, they elicited different responses from Gabe!
Gabriel didn’t like doubt. Having just come from Heaven, He saw things ‘God said’ as DONE. Zechariah…not so much! He questioned. A little too much! Gabe couldn’t take a joke and cursed Zach with a couple malady’s! Mary’s question got a dignified response AND a full explanation from Gabriel. Could it be that Angels respect women more than men? Or is something else going on here?
The Bible says, several times, that ‘out of the heart, the mouth speaks.’ Humans have a habit of saying things to try to cover all the bases so they don’t get caught, burned or misunderstood. The center of most conversation is ‘The Self!’ Which apparently, Zach was full of. Mary was not. She was honored to be chosen and didn’t need a lot of details.
I have to confess that I often read Scripture with a Zach attitude instead of a Mary one. When God says “DO THIS” or “DON’T DO THAT” I have a tendency to look at how His will is going to impact my life and choices. I subconsciously look for angles, not angels, to help decide to do what God says. If there’s a loophole…I’ll usually find it! Today’s story is telling me to stop looking for one!
HOW do YOU respond to God’s Words?
