Luke 1:29, New Living Translation

“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.”

Luke 2:19, New Living Translation

“But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”

One of my favorite songs is “Mary, Did you know?” (By Pentatonix) It always leads me to think in such an encouraging way. I ask myself the same question, “Coria, do you know?” Do you know how God sees you, why He chose you, what He desires for your life, and what the road to your destiny looks like? Yet like the song, the main question is about her son, Jesus. “Mary, did you know anything about the son that God gave you? The purpose of His life, the work that He will accomplish, and most importantly: who He is? His true identity in God?” I look at my child, and through the challenges, difficulties, and uncertainty, I ask the same, “Coria, do you know?” If Mary did not have the answer, I wouldn’t either.

I find comfort from this question, “Mary, did you know?” She did not need to know, what she needed was to surrender herself to God’s will. To heed and humbly follow Him. In the same way, Coria does not need to know. As a mother or a wife or a sister in Christ… or in my own life, I do not need to know. Instead, what I know is who the Lord Jesus is through the unending demonstration of His love:

Whatever the challenge that may be in front of me, I can overcome it through Him.

However hard the difficulties may be, I will be more than a conqueror through His love.

No matter what the uncertainty, He knows, and He has it in His hands.

And --

When Mary kissed her little baby, she kissed the face of God. When I kissed my baby, I kissed a life that is precious to God. My child (Who belongs to God, a son of the Father who is in heaven), has a purpose from the Creator. He has the work that the Lord called him into, and he is His. The Father loves him, the Son gave His life for him, and the Holy Spirit will guide him. He will receive all the truth from the Holy Spirit, and he will be free from the wages of sin. If Mary held hope through all the challenges, difficulties, and uncertainty, I could have hope for my child… especially now I know who Jesus truly is!

This is not just a hope for myself, my child, my spouse, or the people I have a relationship with or engage with… but for you also! You may not know just like Mary, you may not even know Jesus, but He knows you! He died and rose for you so that you can be rescued from the wages of sin and have hope – everlasting life! A life of love, of peace, of joy… which the world can never give to you.

My dear friends, you do not need to know everything, but only Jesus. Be encouraged!