And here we come to our final Advent devotion on the journey to joy. As Advent begins to flow into Christmas, the anticipation begins to take us to the heights of celebration as we remember the birth of Jesus. For centuries Christians have called this the Incarnation, the God we worship becoming flesh and blood, like one of us in every respect (Heb. 2:17). Advent and Christmas are part of what has been called the “Cycle of Light,” made up of Advent (anticipation), Christmas (celebration), and Epiphany (proclamation).

In the Cycle of Light, we see Christ’s radiance shining in the eyes of His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. Each of these two amazing souls has a personal story shared through the Gospels. Likewise, we have a story. God does not hit “delete” on our past. When we submit to God, He takes who we have become, over the years, formed by our responses to our challenges, limitations, influences, and family lives, and uses it to further His mission and kingdom.

The Lord sees faithfulness, forged in private moments when we could have turned away, turned back, or turned off an invitation for Him to work in us and through our seemingly small and insignificant lives. Luke 16:10 says it clearly: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Take note of this: our faithfulness in the little things will always mean more to God than we may be aware of at the moment.

He sees what no one else does. He knows what truly motivates us and moves us, evidenced by how we handle the unseen and seemingly insignificant times of obedience.

And that brings us to Mary. Today’s reading simply notes that Mary is “highly favored.” It’s possible we could read right over that statement and miss its importance.

Mary has favor with God.

If you have favor with God, you don’t need it with anyone else. Mary was living a life, unseen to us and unrecorded by history, that pleased God. Mary, as far as we can tell, had been living a faithful life up to the point the angel graces her—a life faithful to the Father, his purposes, and his values.

Joseph seems to have been the same. In Matt. 1:18-20a, we get a brief glimpse into his character, seeing that he is faithful to the law, and in this case, we can read that as a metaphor suggesting that Joseph cares what God thinks about things. When he hears of Mary’s pregnancy, he wants to do his beloved betrothed no harm, choosing to keep her story out of the public eye and end their relationship quietly. We have no indication that Joseph was anything other than eager and willing to support Mary and to raise Jesus as his own when the angel appears to him in a dream.

Faithfulness in our past gives momentum to faithfulness in our present. Faithful in little, faithful in much. That is the way the Advent story unfolds, and ours as well. Today, you and I have the opportunity to trade our fear for Christ’s courage and our apprehension for Christ’s revelation.

And if we will be faithful in little, we will be invited to partner with Christ and other faithful people in the awakening of the world—whether that world is in the home of the neighbor next door or in the halls of kings and queens.

Reflection:

• In what little ways, public or hidden, do you believe you are partnering with God right now?
• What areas of faithfulness are you struggling with, and could you give those areas up to Jesus in surrender now?
• Prayer: Jesus, You were raised by faithful people whose lives were as simple and complex as my own. When you called them, you had already found them to be faithful friends of God, and I want to be seen as the same. This Advent, teach me to be faithful in little; let my heart move from disdain for the details to which I must attend, to delight in partnering with you in the smallest, most hidden ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Author: Carrie Hobson

In today’s scripture, we read about when the angel, Gabriel, came to Mary and told her that she was going to have a Son and that she should call him Jesus. Gabriel told her that Jesus would be God’s Son! Can you imagine how she must have felt hearing that she would be the mother to the Son of God?! I’m sure she was excited and a little scared. Gabriel reminded her that no word from God will ever fail. Mary knew that God had always kept His word, so she trusted Him during this time in her life.

Do you ever feel nervous or scared during new situations that come up in your life? Is it sometimes hard to trust God that it’s going to be ok? Remember His Word never fails! You can trust Him to always guide you and help you through those hard, scary times. He will never leave you!

• Prayer: God, thank You that Your word never fails me! Thank You for being with me no matter what situation I’m in. Help me to remember that I can always trust You! Amen.