Luke 1:26–38

There are moments in Scripture where heaven seems to bend low enough for us to touch it. One of those moments happened in a garden in Nazareth, when a young girl named Mary encountered the angel Gabriel.

She wasn’t royalty, or wealthy, or powerful in the eyes of the world, but Heaven saw her as the one. 

Mary was going about the ordinary rhythms of her day when the extraordinary arrived:

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”  —Luke 1:28

Can you imagine hearing those words? Especially as a teenage girl, living in a humble village, suddenly visited by an angel with a world-shifting message.

We’re told Mary was “troubled”—and who wouldn’t be? In my own life experiences, I’ve learned that God’s call on our lives often begins in an unexpected, surprising, and overwhelming way. 

Gabriel tells her she will bear the Messiah—the Savior of the world. Her thoughts probably traveled rapidly from impossible to unlikely to unthinkable. The beauty of God is that He is never limited by human uncertainty. 

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you… For nothing will be impossible with God.”

God wasn’t asking Mary to understand every detail; He was asking her to trust Him enough to say yes. 

There are moments in our lives when God calls us into something we do not feel prepared for—
a new season, a change of direction, a challenge bigger than what we think we can handle.

Mary shows us that obedience isn’t about confidence in ourselves. It’s about confidence in God.

Her response remains one of the greatest declarations of faith in all of Scripture:

“I am the Lord’s servant… May it be to me as you have said.”
—Luke 1:38

Mary did not respond, “I understand everything.”

She didn’t say, “I feel ready and completely confident.” 

Mary simply said, “Lord, I am Yours.”

And when we answer like Mary, God will honor our faithfulness, and that’s where miracles begin.

Mary teaches us that God often speaks in unexpected ways – in ordinary spaces where we least expect divine interruptions. And when He calls us into something greater than ourselves, He also equips us, strengthens us, and walks with us.

Your “yes” may not feel big.  It may feel whispered, hesitant, or trembling—but God can use even a trembling yes to change the world.

Prayer

Lord, give me Mary’s courage to say yes even when I feel unprepared. Help me trust Your voice, embrace Your calling, and walk forward in faith. Let my life echo those precious words: “Let it be unto me.” Amen.

Luke 1:5–25, 57–66

Few stories in Scripture feel as human, as tender, and as reassuring as the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Two faithful servants of God. Two hearts that had prayed the same prayer for years. Two people who watched the seasons of life pass without the blessing they longed for.

Scripture says they were “righteous before God… blameless” (Luke 1:6), yet still, the cradle remained empty, the prayers seemed unanswered, and the silence from heaven felt long.

But heaven was not indifferent. Heaven was working behind the scenes. Zechariah was carrying out his priestly duty when the angel Gabriel appeared with a message that would shake the dust off every decade of disappointment: “Your prayer has been heard.” (Luke 1:13)

Gabriel expressed to Zechariah that God had held their prayer for a long time. He had not ignored their prayer or forgotten their pleas or dismissed their request. No, Heaven had heard their prayers. 

Sometimes the hardest part of faith is believing God remembers us when time goes on, and nothing changes. But Elizabeth and Zechariah remind us that delay is not denial—and silence does not equal absence.

When Elizabeth discovered she was expecting, Scripture tells us: “The Lord has done this for me.” (Luke 1:25)

Elizabeth’s gratitude for God was evident, and she understood that His timing was perfect. There was no bitterness that it had taken so long. There were no complaints that now she was old and the pregnancy was difficult. Elizabeth embraced God’s plan, although it was a different plan from hers. 

After months of silence, Zechariah’s first words were praise. His tongue was loosed when he agreed with God, writing that the child’s name would be John. Sometimes God gives us silence so we can learn to listen again—to His voice, not our fears.

Today, as you rise and begin your day, carry this truth:

God has not forgotten you. Your prayers are not lost. The silence you feel is not empty—sometimes it is preparation.

Elizabeth and Zechariah show us that God often does His deepest work in the waiting. And when the answer finally comes, it comes overflowing with purpose.

Prayer

Lord, help me trust You in the quiet seasons. Remind me that You see me, You hear me, and You are working in every chapter of my life—even the ones that feel still. Like Elizabeth and Zechariah, let my response be faith, gratitude, and praise. Amen.