Christian Reflection and Prayer

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read Luke 1:26-29

TEXT: "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent
from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin."
(Luke 1:26-27)

Frustration is sitting on the floor with six or seven
strings of Christmas lights all tangled together.
After a short struggle we usually gave up and
handed them back to dad, giving him a more tightly
tangled mess of lights than they were before. That's
when his patience and five years in the Navy came
in handy; in no time he had them untangled and
ready for the tree.

As Mary shares her memories of the first Christmas,
she leaves Zechariah for the moment and jumps
forward six months. The same angel Gabriel was
sent on another mission. She recalls the angel's
kind greeting and how he told her God had chosen
her, and was with her. But she was confused,
perplexed and greatly troubled. A debate began
raging back and forth in her mind, as she considered
what the greeting meant.

There is so much confusion in life. Just like Mary we
try to pick through the pieces and see if we can make
any sense out of them. Our minds go back and forth
from one point of view to another, from faith to doubt,
from confidence to uncertainty, from comfort to fear.

Thankfully, nothing is a mystery for God. He arranges
everything according to His loving plan. He assures us,
"I know the plans I have for you ... plans for welfare and
not for evil, to give you a future and a hope"
(see Jeremiah 29:11). The most important part of that
plan was starting to fall into place right now. God's own
Son is becoming human, so He can live a perfect life
and suffer on the cross in our place to win eternal life for
all of us.


Prayer: Heavenly Father, life can be very confusing. In
such times remind me to cast my cares into Your hands
so I may live in peace and quietness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)