Highly Favored

Highly Favored


By Shirley Mitchell

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son.’ ”

Luke 1:26-31a

God Himself sent Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin pledged to be married. He summoned His angel Gabriel who stood in His presence to approach His throne. In the holy place where lightning flashes, seraphs continuously give Him praise, and colors unparalleled to this world dazzle and dance, He imparted to Gabriel another message to be delivered. So Gabriel torn back the veil once again between the spiritual realm to the natural realm.

Previously, Gabriel was sent to the temple where Zechariah was serving or to Daniel, who was a ruler over an entire province of Babylon (Daniel 2:48). They were both men in high positions. Now, Gabriel was being sent to a young teenage girl in a small village in the hill country. This common girl received the most majestic message from the holy throne room of God.

The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth is a modern Catholic church built over the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches. It incorporates the cave where the Catholic Church believes that the Virgin Mary received the news from Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. However, we are not certain of the true location. Was she in this cave? Was it her home? Was she cooking dinner? Was she sweeping the floors? Or was she still in bed and in her night clothes? Or was she outside getting water from the well or some other chore?

Likewise, we could think of many questions about her reaction to the angel Gabriel’s appearance. It is doubtful that she was giddy and ecstatic, wondering what an angel looked like. She was not thinking about how she couldn’t wait to tell all of her friends. She probably was not relaxed and welcoming the angel because she was not expecting his visit. She knew about the angel’s news to Zechariah and how Elizabeth’s barren womb was open with the child who would “go on before the Lord” (Luke 1:17). However, she could not have guessed that Elizabeth’s baby would go on before the Son of God who had come as the Son of Man born from her womb.

Mary was bestowed with the highest honor among women. We know that God esteemed her because Gabriel said that she was highly favored in verse 28, and then, he said it again in verse 30. God was pleased with her. Then, the angel goes on to say, “The Lord is with you.” Oh, what words of comfort! When God assigns someone a mission in the Bible like Moses or Joshua, He also assured them with these precious words, “I am with you.” Remember He is Immanuel, the with-us God. The angel had not told her yet her assignment. He first told her that she was able to do what God had called her to do. Then he told her what was going to happen.

In a matter of moments on an ordinary day, the entire direction of this teenager’s life had changed. The angel told this young girl that she would be responsible for the precious Son of God. He told her to accept this unprecedented miracle. He told her to embrace motherhood, which was not the life stage for which she was preparing. He told her to endure scandal. The community would know that this baby was not Joseph’s child. She would have to endure their cupped whispers in their friends’ ears as she passed them on the roads. She would have to tell Joseph, and yes, she would have to tell her parents!

But God gave her two encouragements so she would know that even though she was called to a hard road, all would be alright for she had won the favor of God! Even though she was not perfect and made some mistakes, she knew that she was living right and that her heart was for the Lord. Secondly, she had the promise that the Lord was with her. With God on her side, she could endure whatever the neighbors said and find the wisdom needed to raise the Son of the Most High.

Precious one, with God on our side, we also can endure whatever He has called us. If we set ourselves apart for Him, then we are also highly favored and have placed ourselves in a position for Him to work in our lives. Our Lord will be with us through whatever life throws at us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Others may forsake us, but He won’t! O, how we praise You, LORD!
Pray with me: Father God, what an amazing story! You sent Your messenger with a divine message that had waited throughout all time to be uttered. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary on such an ordinary day. We also desire to be highly favored by You, too. Teach us how to be favored by You. Convict us in areas that do not please You. We never want to go anywhere without You. We want every path of our lives to be marked by “The LORD was with us.” Show us Your way. It’s in Your precious Son’s Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.