There is great expectation from the parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles when a baby is expected. There is preparation, thanksgiving, and celebration. There are concerns and tears of joy. All surrounded by the miracle of Life.
Envision what Mary must have felt when she held her son, Jesus, in her arms for the first time. This was the son of God! Did she have hopes and dreams for Jesus? Did she have
plans for him? I’m sure that she must have; most mamas do.
I don’t know of any mothers who plan to be beaten and violently death. Mary, the mother of our Lord, watched as her son was whipped and crucified. She watched him hang on a cross, suffering in unimaginable pain. The sorrow that she must have felt must have been unfathomable. This wasn’t the happy ending that she pictured for her baby boy – more like a nightmare.
When God is the author of our story, there is always a good ending for us. Romans 8:28 “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Jeremiah also told us of God’s promise in 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God makes our story play out quite differently. God doesn’t always exclude pain and suffering from us, and that doesn’t al
ways feel “good” to us. But as a friend of mine recently said, “we don’t always get to choose the “good” that He works in us. We may be thinking that things will be easier or more comfortable, but God’s “good” always means that we will become more Christ-like.
How senseless Jesus’ death must have seemed to Mary. I’m sure that she struggled to see the “good” In that. Do you think that it was comforting to Mary when Jesus spoke to her on the cross? Do you believe that she felt that Jesus’ death was all part of God’s plan?
When Life seems unclear, and we are confused – God can always be trusted. Can you rest in in God’s plan for your life?
Today’s Challenge: Call and encourage a tired mother that you know. Encourage her with Roman’s 8:28 and pray with her.
