Promises Fulfilled

 

“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”  Luke 1:54-55

Abraham was given a promise, but told he would not live to see the fullness of the promise fulfilled. Mary, on the other hand, got to witness the fullness of God’s answer to both her promise and Abraham’s. But remember, Mary’s experience was bitter sweet. Yes, she was blessed to give birth to and raise the Savior, but she also had to watch as He was crucified, as He was brutally tortured and there was nothing she could do about it. I cannot imagine the horror of that day. But then, as John’s adopted mother, she got to witness the promise fulfilled even further as word began to spread to every nation of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection on our behalf.

Promises fulfilled are beautiful, but not always clean and simple. Salvation came at a cost. Abraham was worried about who would inherit his estate when he died. I don’t think he had even given a thought to his eternal soul. God answered that need, and so much more! Praise God that He answers our prayer according to our need that He can see, not according to our limited desires! We ask for such simple things, but God has such great plans. Oh, that we would lay our desires down at His feet and trust Him for His perfect fulfillment.

Mary was chosen to be a part of the salvation story, not because of her greatness, but because of her humbleness. As we explored yesterday, God is not impressed with our position or power or wealth. Rather, He uses the lowly, the humbled in spirit so that His glory might be seen. Mary was quick to trust and believe in God’s promise. She didn’t ask for proof, but just clarification. Was Mary perfect? Definitely not! There were times when Jesus’ own family doubted his calling and tried to put a stop to Him. She was not perfect, but, like us, she believed in God’s promise.

Here's the Thing: We, too, need to believe in the promise. Like Abraham, like Mary, we are inheritors of the promise of God and in order to receive our inheritance, we need only trust and believe. God made it so simple, but also so very clear. Have you, like Abraham and Mary before you, put your trust in God’s promise to you? If you have any questions or would like to share your story, please feel free to reach out!

             

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