December 12 “Making Room to Trust when We’re Overwhelmed”
Matthew 1:18
Christina Mooney
Devotional Reading
How overwhelming and daunting the situation must have been for Mary. I have often wondered about how willing she was in the beginning to submit to bearing the Messiah. In my own life, oftentimes the Lord will come in His loving presence and ask me to walk in a certain direction. In that moment it is easy to have faith and say yes. The hard part comes when I am walking out His will, and I realize the full ramifications of what I am doing. I am certain Mary knew of the ramifications in her culture of being with child and not yet married to Joseph, but as it is often with us, I am sure the fullest of the realization came later.
Maybe it was when she saw the disappointment and bewilderment in Joseph’s or her mother’s face the moment they realized she was with child. For years, her decision to obey the Lord would be misunderstood by her whole community.
Luckily for us, abortion was not an option or even a consideration in her day. Yet how many of us have (non-maliciously) aborted the plans of God by not making room for what He was doing, or shrunk back and gave into fear? The question is, how do we make room for God in the midst of overwhelming processes, or in the midst of our fears and inadequacies? I believe the key is in our perspective: what are we looking at and how we are viewing the situation? What we gaze on has tremendous implications on our perspective. Are we keeping our eyes and attention on on what Jesus sees, His desires, and passions for us? Or are we too busy looking at our fears and inadequacies? When we view our situations do we only see all of our shortcomings, and the situations that are not right, or do we see His promises and possibilities?
Making Room
1. What is your situation that is overwhelming you?
2. Who does God want to be for you in that situation?
3. Where is the room for growth?
4. What is the Lord giving you as a recourse to strengthen you?