Who is In Charge?

When I was thinking of Advent today, I thought of Mary. The words of the Magnificat – Mary’ s response to Gabriel upon his news that she would bring forth the Christ, speak of such strength from a young peasant girl,

46 And Mary said:
“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name. Luke 1:46-49 (KJV)

We hear the faith she had in God, and her belief that in this He was honoring her. Even though we know there would many who did not believe, we know she found strength in her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John – we knew that she found comfort in Joseph taking her to be his wife. Yet when they traveled to Bethlehem – and she faced the birth of her baby, the anointed one, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, not in a palace, but in a stinking ox stable! What were her thoughts, somehow I picture for a moment she was like the prophet Jeremiah who said:

<em>”19-21I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

Jeremiah didn’t stop there and I picture Mary didn’t either – and in this season of Advent, no matter what we are facing we too can take comfort in these words:

22-24God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.

25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

31-33Why? Because the Master won’t ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way:

34-36Stomping down hard
on luckless prisoners,
Refusing justice to victims
in the court of High God,
Tampering with evidence—
the Master does not approve of such things.
God Speaks Both Good Things and Hard Things into Being
37-39Who do you think “spoke and it happened”?
It’s the Master who gives such orders.
Doesn’t the High God speak everything,
good things and hard things alike, into being?
And why would anyone gifted with life
complain when punished for sin?

40-42Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living
and reorder our lives under God.
Let’s lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time,
praying to God in heaven,”Lamentations 3:19-42(MSG)

No matter what you are going through – let’s remember the One who’s in charge!

Karios,
Maria