Blessings and Glory
I'm sorry yall. I really thought I had another Thursday before Christmas. I didn't realize Christmas fell on a Wednesday this year.
Anyway, let's get into it.
LUKE 2:13-14
Pleased. Webster defines pleased as to be the pleasure or will of. So it's the day after Christmas, and everybody is preaching their Christmas messages and granted I'm late per usual. But as I was sitting at work, God started to deal with me regarding the word "pleased." Every parent is pleased when they see their children ripping open their gifts Christmas morning. Now I'm nobody's parent, but I remember being a little girl, and we were living in Germany. Yes, my family is military. My sister...she's a little different. I'll never forget this one time my parents bought my sister this creepy life size barbie. This thing was almost my height. So DeAisha was excited when she saw the doll, but when they took the doll out the box, DeAisha sat the doll next to her and started playing with the box that the doll came in. I don't think I had ever seen my daddy roll his eyes so hard. He worked so hard to buy that creepy doll (Yall this thing used to scare me so bad lol) and all she wanted was the box.
I started to think about how God was pleased with Mary.
LUKE 1:26-38
Mary was minding her own business. She was getting ready to get married to Jojo. Probably was getting that waist snatched, figuring out all the last minute to-do's. In my mind, Gabriel and God were sitting in heaven getting a good little laugh. Like.... they were like "she don't even know she's bout to have a whole baby."
Now, as I told yall, I was a little weird as a kid I mean even as an adult I'm a little odd. I ask questions that no one ever thinks to ask. I used to think it was because I smoked so much but even when I stopped smoking that was just the way my mind was wired. Anyway, I say all of that to say I always wondered why God chose Mary. Today, I found it.
LUKE 1:38
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary never questioned what Gabriel told her. She didn't talk back. She wondered how she was going to get pregnant if she was a virgin, which was a reasonable question. Mary ain't say "Tell God I don't want it." She ain't give Him no attitude or nothing. She said, "Lord I am your servant."
Some of you may be asking why does that make a difference? Has your mama ever asked you to do something, and you said something back? You probably got your teeth knocked out. It is pleasing when you obey all the way. Partial obedience is still disobedience. Partial obedience includes you being disrespectful when He tells you to do it. Do it cheerfully!
So I really started to think about this thing. Nobody ever talks about how humble Mary was. MARY WAS MINDING HER BUSINESS. Even after Gabriel came to her, she still stayed humble. She didn't even tell anybody what happened. Even when Elizabeth confirmed what God said, Mary still remained humble.
LUKE 1:39-44
Hold on---I want to talk about this for a minute. Confirmation is one those things that genuinely scare me sometimes. There are some things that I know that God only told me, and that I never mentioned to people. If I was Mary, I would've freaked out when Elizabeth said what she said.
But Mary didn't. In fact, she praised God.
LUKE 1:46-56
That's why God was pleased with her. She stayed humble and she did what we were all created to do---praise God.
I dare you to go into a concordance (How many of yall still have one of those lol) and see how many times the Bible uses the word humble. Just go look. Look it up online, and you'll see. If you want to be pleasing to God, be humble and remain humble.
LUKE 2:1-7
Mary remained humble. She never broke up the scene just because she was carrying Jesus. God Himself placed that baby inside of her. The Bible never discusses what was really going on when Mary started to show. I know how those looks can be. I got them all the time. People would look at my left hand, to my belly, and would turn their noses up at me like me being in the situation I was in affected them. I always wondered why the Bible never talked about it, but I know that people were talking crazy, but Mary stayed humble.
PROVERBS 29:11
Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.
That's the thing. God sometimes has to allow things like that to happen so He can really use you. He allows those things to break you so that He can multiply you. That can't happen if you're always poppin off. That can't happen if you say something every time somebody say something to you. It won't happen. Stay humble, and be that living sacrifice that we talked about last week.
The other thing is that some of y'all are ready to quit the minute you don't feel special because you've been chosen by God. When I say special, I mean that you get preferential treatment. But in reality, you're probably experiencing attack after attack because they devil is trying to get you to abort your assignment. The minute you get a little uncomfortable, you're ready to quit as if the final product is not worth it. As if your comfort level right now is more important. You'll never read in the Bible that Mary complained, and if you do see it I'm trading in my Bible for yours. She stayed humble.
Even when it was time to have Him, she stayed humble. She could've had Him anywhere, but she remained humble. She said "God if you want me to go back here with the donkeys I will." She had Him in a manger. She didn't need to rent out the entire maternity ward at Cedar-Sinai. She said "That's alright. I'll have Him right here."
Even in this season, I think it's time to stop looking for gifts and look to be a gift to God not just this time of year, but every day because every day He gifts us with life. Be humble
Anyway, let's get into it.
LUKE 2:13-14
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Pleased. Webster defines pleased as to be the pleasure or will of. So it's the day after Christmas, and everybody is preaching their Christmas messages and granted I'm late per usual. But as I was sitting at work, God started to deal with me regarding the word "pleased." Every parent is pleased when they see their children ripping open their gifts Christmas morning. Now I'm nobody's parent, but I remember being a little girl, and we were living in Germany. Yes, my family is military. My sister...she's a little different. I'll never forget this one time my parents bought my sister this creepy life size barbie. This thing was almost my height. So DeAisha was excited when she saw the doll, but when they took the doll out the box, DeAisha sat the doll next to her and started playing with the box that the doll came in. I don't think I had ever seen my daddy roll his eyes so hard. He worked so hard to buy that creepy doll (Yall this thing used to scare me so bad lol) and all she wanted was the box.
I started to think about how God was pleased with Mary.
LUKE 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,[a] favored woman! The Lord is with you![b]”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel[c] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.[d]”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary was minding her own business. She was getting ready to get married to Jojo. Probably was getting that waist snatched, figuring out all the last minute to-do's. In my mind, Gabriel and God were sitting in heaven getting a good little laugh. Like.... they were like "she don't even know she's bout to have a whole baby."
Now, as I told yall, I was a little weird as a kid I mean even as an adult I'm a little odd. I ask questions that no one ever thinks to ask. I used to think it was because I smoked so much but even when I stopped smoking that was just the way my mind was wired. Anyway, I say all of that to say I always wondered why God chose Mary. Today, I found it.
LUKE 1:38
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary never questioned what Gabriel told her. She didn't talk back. She wondered how she was going to get pregnant if she was a virgin, which was a reasonable question. Mary ain't say "Tell God I don't want it." She ain't give Him no attitude or nothing. She said, "Lord I am your servant."
Some of you may be asking why does that make a difference? Has your mama ever asked you to do something, and you said something back? You probably got your teeth knocked out. It is pleasing when you obey all the way. Partial obedience is still disobedience. Partial obedience includes you being disrespectful when He tells you to do it. Do it cheerfully!
So I really started to think about this thing. Nobody ever talks about how humble Mary was. MARY WAS MINDING HER BUSINESS. Even after Gabriel came to her, she still stayed humble. She didn't even tell anybody what happened. Even when Elizabeth confirmed what God said, Mary still remained humble.
LUKE 1:39-44
Mary Visits Elizabeth
A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.
Hold on---I want to talk about this for a minute. Confirmation is one those things that genuinely scare me sometimes. There are some things that I know that God only told me, and that I never mentioned to people. If I was Mary, I would've freaked out when Elizabeth said what she said.
But Mary didn't. In fact, she praised God.
LUKE 1:46-56
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
That's why God was pleased with her. She stayed humble and she did what we were all created to do---praise God.
I dare you to go into a concordance (How many of yall still have one of those lol) and see how many times the Bible uses the word humble. Just go look. Look it up online, and you'll see. If you want to be pleasing to God, be humble and remain humble.
LUKE 2:1-7
The Birth of Jesus
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
Mary remained humble. She never broke up the scene just because she was carrying Jesus. God Himself placed that baby inside of her. The Bible never discusses what was really going on when Mary started to show. I know how those looks can be. I got them all the time. People would look at my left hand, to my belly, and would turn their noses up at me like me being in the situation I was in affected them. I always wondered why the Bible never talked about it, but I know that people were talking crazy, but Mary stayed humble.
PROVERBS 29:11
Fools vent their anger,
but the wise quietly hold it back.
That's the thing. God sometimes has to allow things like that to happen so He can really use you. He allows those things to break you so that He can multiply you. That can't happen if you're always poppin off. That can't happen if you say something every time somebody say something to you. It won't happen. Stay humble, and be that living sacrifice that we talked about last week.
The other thing is that some of y'all are ready to quit the minute you don't feel special because you've been chosen by God. When I say special, I mean that you get preferential treatment. But in reality, you're probably experiencing attack after attack because they devil is trying to get you to abort your assignment. The minute you get a little uncomfortable, you're ready to quit as if the final product is not worth it. As if your comfort level right now is more important. You'll never read in the Bible that Mary complained, and if you do see it I'm trading in my Bible for yours. She stayed humble.
Even when it was time to have Him, she stayed humble. She could've had Him anywhere, but she remained humble. She said "God if you want me to go back here with the donkeys I will." She had Him in a manger. She didn't need to rent out the entire maternity ward at Cedar-Sinai. She said "That's alright. I'll have Him right here."
Even in this season, I think it's time to stop looking for gifts and look to be a gift to God not just this time of year, but every day because every day He gifts us with life. Be humble
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