Deposit A Promise

Advent Reading

Sunday was Episode 2 of our Advent Series. If you missed it, check it out here.

Advent invites our hearts to the thrill of Hope, remembering this unshakable truth: as Christ came into a weary world through Mary, He desires to step into ours. Mary’s story has been told and retold because it is a powerful reminder of how God takes the overlooked and ordinary, (she was no one of note) and BY HIS SPIRIT AND POWER brings about a miracle!

Mary was simply a young woman living and looking forward to her upcoming wedding when an angel appeared to her and upended her world. By choosing her, God was once again giving a demonstration of His delight in using what is ordinary to bring about transformation.

This is still true of your life today!

Sometimes the overlooked areas are the very places that God uses to bring about His purposes. Immanuel; a God who arrives unexpectedly, and does the impossible.

Have you lost faith in His perfect timing? Have you grown to doubt that He can use every part of your life?

Today, choose to remember Mary and be encouraged.

Through your life, God is made incarnate to the world around you – He is making Himself known through you! Mary carried and delivered the promised King to the world – and so do you! He delights in using you, because His blessing and favor is imparted, not earned, given freely to be received completely. It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you find yourself today. Give your heart and life over to Him, like Mary did in her response to the angel’s news; “I am your servant, may it be unto me as you have said”. When we surrender EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES before His purpose, WE MAY BE SURPRISED BY WHERE He deposits His promise!

“Certainly it will be the area my faith is the strongest, right? It would have to be where I have things figured out? My giftedness? Places I am confident and handling everything well?” Maybe not. It’s possible, even more likely that He will choose some of the painful places, some of the undone situations, or areas of weakness and uncertainty because that is where He finds the moldable clay with which to create.

God could have come to someone famous, a wealthy family, or royalty, but He chose someone simple, nondescript, and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Mary birthed the Savior of the world!

God ISN’T LOOKING FOR PEDIGREE, OR HISTORY – He steps into HUMILITY and finds a place to deposit PROMISE.

Advent Activation

Ask God, “what are some overlooked areas in my life (interal, external, past or future) that You want to highlight to me today, where you want to deposit a promise?” It could be a relationship you’ve taken for granted, a calling that you’ve shelved, or an area of obedience that you’ve delayed. When God points it out, make it available to Him, and invite faith to rise in that area of your life! He wants to use every part of your story, not just the dressed up and impressive ones! There’s no greater gift than God taking something or someone ordinary and using it to display His glory!