Be Born in Me!
There's a beautiful verse in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that says, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him" Incredible that God makes a concerted effort in seeking those who are fully committed to Him. A wonderful affirmation of Gods deep devotion to them that love Him wholeheartedly. Scripture says He inhabits the praises of His children. A reassuring reminder that though people may judge and assess us by our outward actions, God always looks at our hearts. He sees beyond the faults, the frailties of our humanness and credits our God attuned hearts as righteousness, as pliable 'clay' for the Potter to mould into vessels of purpose.

Luke 1:28 finds a startled Mary reeling from the news the Angel Gabriel brings. "Greetings, you who are highly favoured! the Lord is with you!" To think that she was on His mind, handpicked, chosen, watched over so intently for so long, surely must serve to encourage us of our very own journey and relationship with Him. Historically little is known of Mary. She was a peasant woman from the tribe of Judah, the line of David. It is believed that she came from a godly home of devout Jews. She would have been groomed to keep house, but evidently Mary was well versed in Scripture and had hidden portions of it in her heart. She may have been young and poor but she had something priceless within her, her faith and her love for God. Mary was a small town girl from the insignificant village of Nazareth yet none of her circumstances hindered or hampered her from remaining pure, godly, faithful and true to God. However young, innocent, and disadvantaged she may have appeared to be, Mary placed her relationship with God as first and foremost in her life. Though she may have been overlooked or disregarded as just another young girl of her tribe, of her town, Mary caught the attention of God! It's as if all the years of her closet relationship with God, her deep reverence and devotion to Him shifted the Hand and Heart of God. She ticked the boxes, she met the requirements and with her faith and Gods presiding Presence over her life, how could she not get through all that God had planned for her?! She was the clay in the Hands of the Potter. She gave God something to work with.

"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." (Luke 1:30) Once again the Angel singles her out as the favoured one. The angel assures her not be afraid and in the same breath outlines the most preposterous proposal! Mary's response is almost equally incredibly irrational. You would expect her to dismiss the entire idea as ludicrous, you would expect her to question the angels sanity perhaps? Yet she asks a very pertinent, logically thought out question. "How will this be since I am a virgin?!" Mary does not question the absurdity or ridiculousness of the entire plan but she questions the method, the means, the biological implications since she was a virgin and unmarried. You see her faith foundation made provision for reason and logic to be overruled and superseded by Gods purpose and plan for her life. Mary was willing, pliable, supple and displayed a resolute faith well beyond her years and life's experience. This is what faith consistent faith translates into at the intersection of divine purpose. The clay and the Potter come together to fashion and form the most incredulous channel, pathway, vessel and conduit in honouring and fulfilling Gods High command.

When Mary was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive by Holy Spirit manifestation, without delay, without a second thought, she immediately responded, "I am the Lord's servant, may your word to me be fulfilled!" You see Mary had to first conceive the plan within her heart, her soul and all of her being. He had to be born in her before He could be born from her. No matter where you come from, how disenfranchised and disadvantaged you may think you are, your courageous relentless faith always makes way for Gods Favour, for Gods Eye and Gods Hand to move toward you!