Silent night? Have you ever been up close to a braying donkey? Surrounded by pack animals while delivering a baby, 
the only silence Mary heard seemed to be emanating from God. Hey, whatever happened to that angel’s promise about finding favor with God?
Periods of “silence” are common in the history of God’s relations with man. Yet we always find out later that God was up to something better all along.
- After David was crowned King, he fled from his enemies for 14 scary years before his kingdom was finally established.
- The nation of Israel cried out for 400 painful years to be delivered from Egypt’s bondage.
- The entire human race was subject to a 400 year period of silence during the time between the last Old Testament prophets and the New Testament birth of Jesus.
In all of these cases and so many more, behind the scenes God was working ALL things to the good (Romans 8:28).
Back to Mary. How did she get through her nightmare child birth experience? By focusing, not on the unhealthy conditions of her delivery, but on the promises of God’s glorious goodness delivered through the shepherds:
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart – Luke 2:19.
How about us? In our struggles, are we able to look beyond appearances to ponder and treasure His promises? Perhaps long ago you turned away from God – He was just too silent for you. You may be wondering why you’re even still reading. Or perhaps you’re all in with God, but secretly, or not so secretly disillusioned with His current path for you?
This Christmas, God wishes to fan that flicker of hope deep within us all. He is always up to something better! So whether you need to surrender and receive the promised Messiah into your life for the very first time (here’s how – let me know if you do), or you need to be reminded to grab onto His great and precious promises – remember His plans for you are very good. So we end while pondering one of the most hope-filled promises in the Bible:
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” – Jeremiah 29:11.
