30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."
Luke 1:20 ESV
Even without the rest of this message concerning the birth of Jesus, this verse would have been cause for celebration for Mary. "You have found favor." God has taken notice of you. The Creator of the universe is pleased with you.
In the hierarchy of blessings, this has to be at the top. Long life? Not a bad blessing. The father of a nation? Pretty cool. But the mother of the Savior of the world! Can't top that one. Or can you?
Think about the favor we receive when we place God on the throne of our heart. Forgiveness of sin. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Promises of comfort and guidance. A guarantee of the strength to withstand the worst of times. Peace. Love. Joy.
Now those are some amazing blessings. As Christians we too have found favor with God. And just as in Mary's case, this favor is not earned. It is not a result of anything we did. Jesus death and resurrection make it possible.
Mary's favor revolved around the birth of Christ. Our favor is a result of the death of Christ. One person blessed with a birth. All mankind blessed with a death.
Thank you God for your blessings.
What is just as amazing is that we too have the same message from God that we "have found favor with God."
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