“And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.” (Luke 1:56 ESV)
So many good things must come to an end. Mary must leave her place of comfort and go home to face Joseph—and possibly her parents and relatives as well.
I imagine she spent a lot of time thinking about this late at night while the family slept. I suspect she spent a lot of time praying about this with Elizabeth and silent Zechariah. They all knew it would be a challenge.
But God would be with her. God had His hand on the future, just as He had on the past. He would not desert her.
He will not desert you either, no matter what you are facing. He knows what is coming, though you may not know yourself yet. He cares for you. And so you can walk step by step toward the future, knowing that your hand is in the hand of your Savior Jesus, who has promised to stay with you. He knows the road you walk. He has been down it before—all the way—if it turns out well, or even if it leads to suffering and death. And He knows the unthinkable paths through to resurrection—the ways that God brings good out of chaos, and redeems all our suffering.
Trust Him.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, stay with me always. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What do you do when you are facing uncertainty?
* How has God helped you in the past when you were in trouble?
* How can you comfort others who are walking dark and uncertain roads?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on December 12, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
