Daily Delight – Advent Day 16

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered 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.

The favor of God, what an inexplicable thought. To be favored is to be looked upon with delight, gladness, and joy. To be favored is to have the Lord with you. I want that! I want to experience and acknowledge the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in my life each day.

“He will be called holy,” perfect, complete, lacking nothing … set-apart in full deity, God yet man. Oh the depth of who Jesus is – our loving lamb of God, Man of Sorrows, Immanuel – God with us. I love that He is holy, yet Immanuel. He is with us even though He is holy; because He is holy. He is with us and for us and He favors us. And as He favors us, He equips us to bear fruit for His Kingdom. As He favors us, we become like Him, because the influence He has on us changes us and completes us. The favor of God … what a beautifully wrapped promise … His favor, His provision of grace, His great love.