Fields United Methodist Church

Thoughts Along the Way

Pastor Tom Joyce

November 30, 2021

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

Like so many people Mary spent her life in the shadows of society; she had a few friends, had a job that put food on the table and had a fiancé that loved her deeply. But fame and notoriety was hardly part of her story, until she became part of God’s story and ultimately part of ours. So this young, poor unassuming girl found favor with God, and with that proclamation by the angel Gabriel she would in nine months give birth to the Savior of the world, Jesus the Christ. Impossible you say? By human standards, that would be correct; to the world she was nobody special and the conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-31-35) defied any known scientific standard.  Yet God is the One who created the heavens and the earth out of nothing which would seem impossible to us, but not to God. God made possible what would otherwise be impossible; assumed every part of who we are and offered not just life, but life in abundance; “for nothing is impossible with God.” Your life is important to God, so incredibly important that he comes to you, especially you, not to condemn or discount your worth but to offer you the precious gift of salvation; the very transformation of your soul and the peace of knowing that you have found favor with God for no other reason than that you are loved by the One who makes reality out of what is seen as impossible.  No matter the clouds you may encounter along the way, no matter the challenges you face, accept the peace in knowing the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is with you today and those things that may seem impossible are possible. When you feel weak and of little value God will, “renew your strength and [you] shall mount up with wings like eagles, [you] shall run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) You are the beloved of God and that is not only a possibility, it is reality. Accept the peace and the comfort of knowing the One conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of Mary, suffered for you, died for you and resurrected for you on the third day has promised to be with you, favor and beloved, always even to the end of the age.