​
Today's reading
December 23, 2025
Luke 1:31-35,38,46b-48
The stage was set.
For generations, God had turned the hearts of kings, manipulated the ebb and flow of the world, and meticulously tied loose ends so that He Himself would step into His story—and our reality—at the perfect moment. There was just one piece missing.
In order for the Word to become flesh and dwell among humanity, He would first have to dwell within the flesh of a woman. In an act of ultimate humility and submission, the Savior of the world would wait nine months in the womb—subjecting himself to the biological process. The Maker slowly being woven together, the Author quietly being written into history.
As the eyes of the Lord searched for the woman who would carry the Son of God, they passed over the trappings
of Israel’s capital and the holy corridors of the temple—where Gabriel had just announced the birth of John—
and settled instead on a teenage girl, recently betrothed, living in a nondescript home in the backwater
village of Galilee.
Six months after her cousin Elizabeth became pregnant with the child who would one day introduce her own, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel.
In an instant, this self-effacing woman found herself standing before an agent of heaven. Though his opening words spoke of favor, Mary was troubled—not comforted—by what was happening and what it could mean. Then Gabriel revealed the task set before her:
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call His name 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 the house of Jacob forever,
and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:31–33 (NKJV)
Mary was astonished. She was innocent, unworldly, but keenly aware that what heaven was
declaring would be impossible.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
Luke 1:34 (NKJV)
The angel answered her:
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35 (NKJV)
This was not a naïve girl swept up in a sentimental dream. This was a young woman being asked to step into a moment of monumental obedience. Mary was young. She was betrothed. She lived in a small village where a pregnancy could not be hidden. This news would disrupt her family, threaten her future marriage, and mark her reputation in ways she might never undo. Receiving this calling would become the inflection point of her life, and, if the angel’s words were true, of the world itself.
As the weight of the moment settled in, a faith-fueled strength rose within her spirit.
“Behold the maidservant of the Lord!
Let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38 (NKJV)
Then the angel departed.
What must those quiet moments have been like, seconds after heaven fell silent again? At that precise instant,
only Mary—and heaven itself knew what God had begun.
As her pregnancy progressed, Mary went to Elizabeth, and the assurance the angel had given was strengthened by shared joy and prophetic confirmation. She remained there for three months, and as her body changed—and the child grew—the love and wonder swelling in her soul erupted in worship.
Mary cried out,
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
​
Luke 1:46b-48 (NIV)
She sang of the Mighty deeds that God had done and that this child would do.
She declared how this child would embody hope and compassion, lifting the humble, feeding the hungry,
and showing mercy to His people.
Her song declared that the world was already changing, even while it still looked the same because hope was slowly growing in her womb.
Before angels filled the sky over Bethlehem, before shepherds ran through the night, before heaven’s chorus split the darkness, there was one human voice that joined the song.
Mary’s song is not a lullaby, but an anthem ringing through time and eternity exclaiming
That fortune favors the obedient
The Spirit of God rests on the willing
and that the most powerful song we can sing is yes.
This is how God still works.
He prepares the moment long before we see it and then invites his people into glorious purpose.
As true believers align with the will of their Maker all of heaven and earth rejoices with them.
Advent reminds us that God does not force His way into history—He enters through trust.
The Word became flesh because a young woman said yes to heavenly destiny.
And when faith makes room for God, heaven sings and nature follows.
So we wait—not passively, but faithfully—
knowing that even now, God is at work in hidden places,
bringing joy into the world through surrendered hearts.
Mary’s song sings this truth, that;
God keeps His promises.
Faith makes room for glory.
And heaven and nature sing.