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Text: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25
It’s been said, “If you want to make God laugh, just tell him all your plans.”
After graduating from high school, I had a vocational plan all mapped out. That plan was to be an architect. While in college, I was not only designing outlines for luxury homes, I was zealously drawing up the blueprints for my entire future. I had a long-term vision and a lucrative career already devised until God stepped in and hijacked my plans, leading me in a completely different direction. Virtually overnight, I went from designing A-Frames to engineering programs that empower the lives of at-risk youth and underprivileged children. My entire adult life has looked much different than I could’ve ever imagined, and though ministry with kids in crisis has its unique challenges, never for one moment do I regret the day that God hijacked my plans.
It can be a scary thing when God hijacks your plans. Imagine what it must’ve been like when God commandeered the plans of Joseph and Mary, two young teenagers, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in love. They likely had their future all mapped out—the wedding, the honeymoon, the normal small town life, managing the family business. But during their engagement (betrothal), something extraordinary changed everything!
When God Hijacked Joseph and Mary’s ‘Normal’ Life.
The angel Gabriel startles Mary with a visitation in that sleepy little town of Nazareth and tells her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 ESV)
Mary is understandably perplexed. “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” she says.
Gabriel’s response is completely logical, right? “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God…” oh, and by the way, Mary… “nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:35-37 ESV)
Mary goes from shopping wedding cakes to contemplating how she is going to tell her fiancé that she is pregnant, when they both know the baby is not his. My wife counsels young couples not to get married until they have had at least one good, no-holds-barred, 12-round fight with their future spouse. Well, this certainly would’ve been that moment for Mary and Joseph. There was sure to be some “intense” fellowship when she broke that news.
“What a privilege,” we might say, “to be chosen as the mother of the Jesus. How could she decline?”—Right? Well it’s easy for us to assume this posture when we know the end of the story, but put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a moment. Is anyone really going to believe my story, that this child was conceived of the Holy Spirit?
This was scandalous.
She would be accused of fornication and likely stoned for the presumed affair. Submitting to God’s will and trusting Him with the outcome would indeed involve great risk. God has hijacked her life in such an extraordinary way, the only thing she can say is, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 ESV)
Joseph would’ve been shell-shocked. Whether he believed Mary’s whole “angel story” or not wouldn’t matter because everyone else definitely wouldn’t believe it. He would have to live with the gossip about an unfaithful wife and an illegitimate child for the rest of his life. God had violently hijacked his plans as well as his reputation. Heartbroken and humiliated, he resolved to terminate their relationship secretly, sparing Mary any further public shame (Matthew 1:19). Then, after an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream and confirmed the veracity of Mary’s story, he took her to be his wife.
See, Joseph and Mary were faced with the same question that you and I face when God hijacks our plans: Can I trust God with the outcomes if I submit myself to His will?
Their plans were safe, but God’s plan was risky. Their plans didn’t require much faith, but God’s plan demanded every last ounce of faith they had—and then some. Our lives will always be filled with divine interruptions and unexpected twists and turns, and rarely do things turn out the way we plan them. But the question, which never goes away, is simply: Will you trust God when He hijacks your plans?
His plans for your future are far greater than any of your fears. Oh, and let me remind you beloved, nothing will be impossible with God! Think about that as you abide in Him this week.
Trust God when He hijacks yours plans because His plans for your future are far greater than your fears. Tweet this
For further study: Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 31:19, Isaiah 25:9
Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:
- What Christmas tradition in your home is sure to bring you closer together as a family? If you can’t think of one, what tradition can you start this year?
- How do you think you would’ve reacted if you had been Mary or Joseph?
- When has God ever hijacked your plans?
- In what areas of your life have you struggled to submit to God’s will because of the risk involved?
- Is it possible to live a life of faith without taking risks? Explain.
- How can you prepare yourself to surrender more resolutely to God’s will the next time He decides to hijack your plans?
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