“And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ~ Luke 1:28
REFERENCE:
When God wants to show men that He is God, He does things that go against the natural order; He suspends rules and goes against an acceptable culture or pattern. That is uncommon grace at work; it is when God chooses the least likely from a family, classroom, organization, or office and does something remarkable through them – something that will humble the person.
The grace of God often ‘chisels against the grain;’ it will decorate a man with honor who has no pedigree, give illiterate parents a child who is a prodigy in academics, and raise a multi-millionaire from a poor and derelict community. It confirms the scripture: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” Paul meant that God has a way of putting beautiful and expensive treasures in cheap clay pots.
Talking about expensive treasures in cheap clay pots, God chose Mary, an unknown virgin girl from an obscure family in an insignificant city – Nazareth, to conceive the expensive treasure of Messiah. The choice of Mary amazed Gabriel; he said to her, “Rejoice, you are highly favored.” Highly means extremely and exceedingly. Gabriel knew many more qualified women who should have had this great privilege, but God chose the least likely.
Theologians say that every Jewish woman looked forward to being the one to birth the ‘seed of the woman’ who would crush the head of the serpent; hence, they saw barrenness as a curse. So, God could have used illustrious women like Sarah, Ruth, Deborah, Esther, or Miriam (Moses’ sister), but He chose the least likely. It is why Gabriel told Mary she was blessed among women – preferred and put into consideration before all these great women of faith and virtue.
Do you sometimes worry that you don’t have what it takes or ask yourself if anyone knows you are there? Are you often plagued with thoughts of inadequacies that remind you of your weaknesses? Don’t be deceived by satan; we are in a season of uncommon grace, and God is choosing the least likely to do mind-blowing things through them. You qualify for that honor, and good things look good on you. Expect God to send Gabriel to you; it is your turn for favor.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
II Corinthians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, and John 1:46
PRAYER:
+ O Lord, use my life as a wonder to my generation. Do something in my life that has no antecedent in my family line.
+ Father, overlook my lack of qualifications and become my qualification. I receive divine approval today, in Jesus’ name.
+ Let that which others desperately seek and covet come to me quickly on the platform of grace.
