Cattle Crossing Luke 1:29-33

“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive an give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:29-33) NIV

Random Thoughts:

We often think of God in such familiar terms but when we read passages like this we are reminded that God is also frightening, as are the angels who stand in His presence. I love the line in The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe where Lucy asks if Aslan is safe. “Safe? Who said anything about safe?” replies Mr. Tumnus. “But he’s good.”

God is Holy and that aspect of His nature is not safe. No one can stand in his presence and live. In our modern, individualistic, western culture we emphasize God’s approachability but forget that it is only because of His sacrifice through Christ that we are able to come to Him at all. Mary’s fear was well-founded and Gabriel needed to reassure her that God’s intentions toward her were good. 

Moreover, the angel, quoting the prophetic scriptures she would have recognized, tells her the long-awaited messiah is to come through her. The one all of Israel had been waiting for was about to enter human history and God had chosen her to be the mother of the great Deliverer. Jesus, “God with us”. 

Question:

When have you felt weak or inadequate to a task God is calling you to do? Did you want to refuse God’s call  for being too risky and “unsafe”? Were you able to move forward, trusting, instead, that God is good? Or are you at such a crossroads of decision right now?

Journal Response:

My husband and I are plenty talented between us. Wiring our house? No problem. Building an addition? Yep. Put in a fireplace? Oh, yeah. Replace all the plumbing? Okay--that was hard but we eventually did it. 

But when God tapped me on the shoulder one afternoon as I listened to a radio broadcast about purchasing little girls out of slavery in Ghana, I stopped short. I didn’t have money. Nope, not my problem. 

I dismissed God’s nudge but it wouldn’t go away. For several days my thoughts returned to the broadcast and I began to get angry. How was I supposed to help these children? It cost $100 per child to purchase them out of the Trikosi practice of forced slavery to their village priest. How was I going to get that kind of money?  

God’s counter was quick and to the point. “For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills...The world is mine and everything in it.” (I have since learned these words came from Psalm 50:10-12). 

Well that was just great, I remember telling Him in response. He may have all the riches of the world at His disposal but I did not. And still God would not let me go. I finally threw up my hands in surrender, no longer pushing it away but now daring to ask, “What am I supposed to do?!” It was my husband who gave me the answer. “Ask.” --Ask the missions board at our church if they would provide the money. 

Ever the doubting Thomas, I reluctantly agreed to try. My husband attended their next meeting, made a request and they listened. A few days later, I had my response. Each month a benevolent offering is collected and dedicated to a special need following the service. I was asked to write a bulletin announcement explaining about the girls and that would be that. No pleas from the pulpit. No special announcement. Just one short paragraph inserted among the many in our Sunday’s weekly guide.

So I wrote it. And I prayed over it and I asked God to provide the cattle on a thousand hills. This was His idea, after all, not mine. I crossed my arms, duty done, and waited to see what He would do.

God does not disappoint. That day marked a new record in church giving. $10,000 was given to Every Child Ministries. 100 little girls and all their children born to them were ransomed out of the traditional Trikosi practice that has since been outlawed. I didn’t have $10,000 but God did. I had words. I had a heart to help. God put them together and did the rest.  

 Nothing is impossible with God.