Lean not on our own understanding

I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding.

Source: Vidcha.com

Earlier this year a member of our Fellowship brought a Word from Luke 1:26-45: 

‘In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you’.

‘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 and 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end’. ‘How will this be’, Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin’? The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail’. 'I am the Lord’s servant’, Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled’. Then the angel left her’.

‘At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!’

Source: europosters.pt

I remember being excited as the same passage had been on my heart for several weeks, although how God spoke to the person who brought the word was different to how God spoke to me. What struck me from the passage was Mary's courage. She knew how the news of her pregnancy could be received and how Joseph could reject her. Although her reputation could also be ruined, and she could have been stoned to death, she said ‘let it be to me as You have said’. Joseph sought God’s understanding and God spoke to him in a dream and he listened. Mary hurried from her community to spend time with Elizabeth who was filled with Holy Spirit and the understanding that God alone can give. The child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for Joy at the sound of Mary's greeting as she entered Elizabeth's home. How beautiful.

We too need to seek God’s understanding in all our ways and relationships; Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’. It's too easy to misunderstand one another. I found it interesting that Mary did not stay in her own community. I wonder why? But there were those who sought God and He gave Mary His understanding. They rejoiced with Heaven and encouraged Mary. 1 Corinthians 13 is very well known, and the last verse sums up this message very well; ‘And now these three remain faith, hope and love’. The great test of these is love. I know me, I know the battles and I have to understand and to love people. I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding. Relationships are far from easy and I suppose that's why so many are broken. 

We have access to our Heavenly Father 24/7 and He has promised to give us wisdom, insight and understanding if we ask Him. It's our choice to walk a certain way and to be obedient, just like Mary decided to be obedient despite knowing the possible consequences. Let us lean not on our own understanding but submit to the understanding of the one who holds us in the palm of His hand.

God bless.

Author: Anonymous

May God bless and enrich your life   

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