Luke 1:26-28
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.
Most encounters with angels in the Bible, usually begin with the heavenly messengers comforting the surprised and terrified recipient with, “Do not be afraid.”
The arch-angel Gabriel comes to a young girl from Nazareth with, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” In simpler words, “Hey! You are going to love this! Jehovah-God is with you and has an amazing idea to rescue his people and change the world, and it includes you!”
Seeing Mary’s look of bewilderment and fear, Gabriel then adds, “Do not be afraid.”
As we begin Week 3 with the theme of Joy, consider: what if Gabriel is so inspired by God’s cosmic move of redemption and love, that his message to Mary begins with an invitation to rejoice… God is up to something and you are about to play a big part. This is going to be amazing, profound, and wonderful, let’s rejoice!
What would it look like for you to begin each day this week with a prayer and pronouncement that echoes Gabriel’s message to Mary: “God is up to something and I am about to play a big part. This is going to be amazing, profound, and wonderful; I am starting today by rejoicing!