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When God Confounds Our Plans

Read the transcript from today's video devotional.

Picture Mary in those precious weeks before her wedding. She's probably dreaming about her future home with Joseph, imagining their life together. The hope of marriage filled her with anticipation and joy. She had good plans—beautiful, God-honoring plans to become the wife of a righteous man from David's lineage. But God had other plans. Better plans. Plans that would confound not just Mary's expectations, but the entire world's understanding of how the Messiah would come.

Gabriel's Announcement

Gabriel delivers news that will change Mary's life. In Luke chapter 1, verses 26 and 27:

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.'"

Notice what he does first: "Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you." God doesn't lead with the shocking announcement. He leads with His presence. He wants Mary to know that before her world gets turned upside down, before her reputation is questioned, before she faces the whispers and the stares, He's with her.

This wasn't punishment disguised as blessing. This was pure favor, though the world wouldn't see it that way. Gabriel has to repeat it: "Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God." The very thing that others might use to shame her—an unexpected pregnancy before marriage—was actually God's chosen method to bring salvation to the world. Whoa. That's good.

Better Than We Could Imagine

Sometimes the greatest Christmas gift that God gives us isn't what we want, but something infinitely better than what we could have imagined. Mary thought her greatest joy would be becoming Joseph's wife. She was looking forward to a wedding feast, but God gave her a front row seat to the greatest story ever told.

When God confounds our carefully laid plans, it's not because He's trying to frustrate us or steal our joy. It's because His love for us is so great that it refuses to let us settle for good when He has extraordinary waiting for us.

Your Response to God's Plans

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, consider this: What plans of yours might God be gently interrupting? What good are you clinging to that might be preventing you from receiving His best? Trust the God who confounds. Trust the God who goes before you with His presence before He asks you to walk through uncertainty. Trust the God whose favor towards you might look different than the world's approval, but His love is greater than any earthly blessing that you could ever unwrap.

Mary's yes to God's confounding plan didn't just change her life. It changed the world. Your trust in His better plans might be the very thing that brings His kingdom closer to earth this Christmas.

What would it look like for you to say yes to God's confounding love this Christmas season?

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When God Confounds Our Plans

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Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.

O Lord, You alone are my hope. I’ve trusted You, O LORD, from childhood.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.

The Lord will reign forever and ever!”

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but You alone are the one we worship.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.

And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by Your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for You!

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world.

They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen.

“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord ’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.

Indeed, He loves His people; all His holy ones are in His hands. They follow in His steps and accept His teaching.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings. I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.

Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.

And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!

One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.

A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen.

No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love.

He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord . Each morning I bring my requests to You and wait expectantly.

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.

But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, “You are my God!”

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’ ”

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of Your presence, LORD.

God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.

I will proclaim Your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise You among Your assembled people.

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.