What kind of winter are you having right now? With COVID and the political chaos, some of us are in a long difficult winter season of our lives that seem to last forever. During this season we hear inescapable Christmas music and carols everywhere on TV, radio, and depending on where you live stores. Some don’t feel like singing along. Most of us sing when things are going great, but what if they’re not, can we still sing?
For Israel it had been in a very long season of winter
It had been 400 years since God had spoken to them by the prophet Malachi, but God’s plan of redemption was not over. They were waiting for their Messiah. As prophesied by Isaiah God sent His only Son into their world to bring light and hope into their season of discontent.
The singing of songs and hymns goes way back to the Old Testament. Only Luke’s gospel includes four songs that have been sung for centuries by real people in real times of disappointment just like you and I.
Luke’s four songs were sung by the quiet ones of Israel who were its’ real strength. People like Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth and Simeon who kept the hope of Israel alive.
In those days the pheasant girl Mary had an amazing miraculous visitation from the angel Gabriel declaring she will give birth to the Son of God conceived by the Holy Spirit. While that was extremely good news for Israel Mary was understandably “greatly troubled” with the announcement. That’s putting it mildly. It was more like completely overwhelmed.
Imagine Mary thinking, “My parents are going to kill me when I tell them I’m pregnant.” Can you imagine the response of Mary’s parents when they asked her who was the father and she told them the Holy Spirit? ”What, excuse me, come again, repeat that?” When the news hits her home town it will get even more painful for Mary.
Mary will endure harsh criticism, accusations, slurs, and incessant whispering from her friends and neighbors. Not just then, but for years. Before Mary breaks into her song she asked Gabriel, “How will this be since I am a virgin?”Gabriel told her, “For nothing is impossible with God.” What was Mary’s response?
“May it be as you have said?”
Can you hear Mary’s heart surrender to God? Whatever you say, Lord, whatever you desire that’s what I want. She let go of that which she could not control. That’s hard, isn’t it? Maybe I think I got to straighten things out on my own, especially if I’ve messed things up? I’m going to get myself out of this somehow. I’ll figure it out on my own. I think I have control.
In the midst of your winter of discontent who or what is your resource? Perhaps you think that God is unaware or detached from your life story? In the midst of deep discouragement the prophet, Isaiah comforted Israel with these words:
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:27-29
Maybe I’m hesitant to come to God because I’m not sure if He cares or can really do anything about my situation? Yet, He wants us to come to Him.
God wants us to be honest with who we are and who He is
He wants us to realize that we are dependent upon His grace and ability to do for us what we cannot do on our own.
“God designed us to run on Him! He is the fuel our spirits are designed to burn.” John Eldredge
Mary could sing in the midst of her winter season because she knew that God had the desire and the power to see her through her difficult season of life and she understood his amazing grace.(Is.40:25-26; Col.1:16-17)Mary freely admitted she needed God’s power and grace. She could say, ‘I need you, God.’ She could sing in the midst of her winter.
What about you? Can you sing like Mary when you’re frozen in your winter of discontent? Yes, it is possible by understanding His power and grace and telling God that you need Him. Perhaps you can say along with Mary, “May it be as you have said.” Pray and ask God that He will enable you to say and mean it with your heart and soul.
