Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day twenty-one of our journey and our symbol is the Lily.
Abundant scientific research shows, human beings think faster than they speak; which for many folks is a good thing. If everything entering our minds came out in our words, we would need rolls of duct tape for our mouths each day. Otherwise, a path of self-destruction could be the result.
The average person can speak about 125 words per minute. However, according to wikipedia, a person listens to 400+ words per minute. How much of what we listen to actually engages our understanding? Most people actually hear and comprehend about 150-160 words per minute. And on an average, we maybe remember only about 25% of what we actually hear. The spiritual battlefield is the mind, because we are to choose to “think” on whatever is pure and praiseworthy to the glory of God (Phil 4:8).
The symbol of the Lily is a sign of purity—only Jesus, born of a virgin and Fathered by the Spirit of God can bring us purity. In our passages for today, our focus is on this purity and how what we are told by God’s Word—the Message—and how we comprehend the words we hear. Mary has an encounter with the angel Gabriel. Mary is told—similar to Zechariah—that God is going to bring forth new life in a Son. This is a seemingly impossible and tremendously unexpected event in the life of Mary who has saved her purity for marriage. How is she to interpret what she has heard? The answer is to comprehend that God is with her and this Son is Holy.
I can only image how this news must have registered in Mary’s mind as she heard it, but this would definitely remain with her as things she would always remember. I love how Dr. Luke writes and tells us Mary, as young as she is, comprehends how babies are made and what she hears makes no sense. Yet, she pauses and ponders the words carefully. She looks for a bit more information. She remembers the Word of the Lord that came to her relative, Zechariah, was fulfilled, because her elderly aunt is pregnant. Therefore, Mary thinks carefully and responds, “May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38).
God’s Word has been planted in the hearts of believers in order to save our souls; however, our minds do not have the ability to perfectly comprehend spiritual things. Our flesh starts sending messages to our minds and the enemy start chirping with evil messages that contradict the Word of the Lord. We must struggle to silence all those words that would lead us into disobedience to the Lord or do not glorify God. Jesus’ brother James tells us we must tame our tongues [which act like a rudder] in order to turn from evil and turn toward pure righteousness; to pay attention to listening and our talking (James 1:19).
Isaiah 7:14 NLT 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).
Luke 1:26-38 NLT The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the purity of our King, Jesus. Thank you for Mary and her purity to be a vessel you inhabit, as well as her obedience to say and affirm the Word over her life. Help us when we do not understand spiritual things and give us the purity of heart to see you and your Kingdom before us each day. We know you are with us. As well, help us to keep a watch over our minds and our words, because we set ourselves up to reap what we sow. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
BTW, word count for this devotional: 999 words to remember (smile).