The following is a devotion provided to Fairbury News from Pastor Paul Wier of the First United Methodist Church entitled, "For With God Nothing Will be Impossible."
Please read the scripture aloud:
And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:35-38
What is possible? A few months back I was wondering if it is possible to have $4 corn and $10 soybeans? Is it possible to develop an effective vaccine for Covid-19 in less than a year? Yes, even though we heard folks ridicule the notion, until it came to be true.
With so many thousands who have died, is it possible to move forward with life? Are we willing to change and live in ways that are different, or do we insist that we have to go "back" to the way things were?
Mary was told: "with God nothing will be impossible." She said, look, I am the servant of the Lord, do with me as you have declared.
We face impossible challenges by the estimation of our human race. Yet, we are called to surrender ourselves to God and allow God to work in us, making possible the life we were created to live - by the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. We do well to remember this is God calling us:
He who has told us, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27), is scarcely likely to behave by another standard himself!
Love, real love, can only help, re-create, wait, and even say on the cross to the criminal who turns to him, "today you will be with me in paradise." What hope, what sweetness there is in this terrible scene on Calvary! And the Church itself, the Church of Jesus, is born at this moment in an encounter between God and mankind when love achieves the miracle of eternal reconciliation. "Today you will be with me in paradise." This is God's today. This is the Church's today. This is completely new. This is the price of blood. Human beings are vanquished by the blood of a God.
- from Why, O Lord? by Carlo Carretto
During this time of Christmas festival we remember the reason the Word of God became flesh and lived among us; the precious, sweet baby in Bethlehem, Jesus.
He came to live, die for all of us, rose from the dead, and will come again one day! We remember he came to make that which was impossible for us, possible! "For with God nothing will be impossible."
Accept the wondrous love of God, surrender to be his servant, believe in God's holy purpose for you and for others. Live the new life Jesus makes possible. Love! Share the good news! Have a wonderful Christmas tide!
In Jesus,
Pastor Paul
