“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (NKJV)
This is a familiar scripture to many, especially during this festive season. It tells us about the angelic visitation Mary had, and how she was told that she would be the mother of the baby Jesus. The Word of God does not give us details of what that encounter was like, or what Mary saw or felt in the presence of this heavenly messenger; but we know that Mary was taken aback, and “troubled” when the angel appeared in her home. This young girl was probably awestruck and a little dazed when faced with the glorious presence there before her, but the angel Gabriel spoke to her kindly, assuring her that things were good, even better than she thought!
Today I feel the Holy Spirit wants the words of the angel Gabriel to begin to resonate in our hearts until they change the way we think and feel: “Rejoice; you are highly favored”; “the Lord is with you”; “you are blessed among the crowd”; “have no fear”, and “you have found favor with God”!
Jesus laid down His life that we might be able to come into the Father’s heart, and live in union with Him forever. His blood has made it possible for us to live without the fear of punishment, the fear of falling short of a standard. He already paid with His blood for our fullest freedom and relationship with God. He called us His bride, filled us with His Spirit, and promised He would never ever leave us. We have every reason to rejoice – we are His highly favored ones!
Dear friend, the more you see how loved you are by God, the more you can experience His goodness in your life. It becomes possible to love Him in a new and beautiful way, and it also becomes possible to love yourself, and give yourself to Him freely. You begin a glorious healing journey that never ends, because the more you love Jesus, the more you will feel His love, and know that you are loved. I believe that all fear arises out of a lack of revelation of who we are to God and how He loves us, but when we realize we are His favored ones, we step into another level of love and power, seeing miracles manifest, and the supernatural order of God breaking into every situation of life. Hallelujah!
All you have to do is take a moment to connect to God. Breathe in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and say “Jesus, I do believe you love me and that Your favor is upon my life. Help me to see this and know it with my whole heart. I want to begin to experience your favor in a whole new way”.
Wherever you are in your life, & in your walk with God, He is sending His Word to you today. Mary lived in a little town far away from the beaten track, but the angel was sent to give her good news. As you feed on this message, His presence is coming upon you now. This glorious creator God loves you immeasurably, unimaginably, and He wants you to know that you are the apple of His eye; His favored one, His joy and His delight! Heavenly encounters and angelic visitations are for you too if you desire them. You have been chosen to partake of all the richness of a supernatural life, and you can have as much as you seek of the things of God.
All the things that made you sad and afraid are melting away, and the realm of heavenly favor is taking its place. Take heart dear one, and know that you are truly blessed among people, and that you are entering a season of answered prayer, of promises fulfilled. God has beautiful plans for you which you are stepping into in this season. You are blessed and highly favored, and the Lord is with you!
Minoli Haththotuwa, 16 December 2021
