December 9, 2024 • 13 mins
Do you yearn for true peace and a sense of God’s favor in your life? That’s exactly what He desires for you! In a world often marked by uncertainty and fear, Mary’s story offers timeless wisdom and inspiration. Imagine her fear and doubt when the angel Gabriel appeared with life-changing news—yet she chose to trust in God’s goodness.
Join host Jodie Chiricosta as she unpacks the profound truths from Mary’s journey. Discover how shifting your focus to God’s love can calm your fears, renew your faith, and fill your life with His peace and favor. This episode will encourage you to embrace God’s unshakable promises and walk in His divine plan for you. Don’t miss this powerful episode!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hey friends, thank you for joining me for a bit of encouragement and inspiration in
(00:04):
your walk with the Lord during this very busy holiday time of year.
I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and international
author and traveler on this journey of faith.
This episode is dedicated to my wonderful mom, Mary, on her birthday.
She has been an amazing example of following Jesus and of putting her faith and trust in
(00:26):
God and in honor of her and of this Christmas season, I'm going to share a little from
the story of another Mary, Mary the mother of Jesus.
But better than celebrating my mom on her birthday is celebrating the birth, the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas.
I love Christmas and all the joy and expectation that comes with it.
(00:47):
It's the time of year we hear a lot of peace on earth, goodwill to men, or God's favor
on men because that is God's desire and plan for us.
But let's be real, the past few years have been anything but peaceful.
Fear and anxiety is a very real part of our world.
Civil unrest, racial tensions, political instability, war, inflation, disease, natural disaster,
(01:12):
and so on have caused more and more people to experience a high degree of stress and
worry.
A survey published on safehome.org a couple years ago said that 45% of the people in the
US reported an increase in daily anxiety levels and 39% report regularly losing sleep at night
because of it.
(01:32):
And since that survey was done, things have gotten even more chaotic for many people.
In Mary's day, things were not very peaceful either.
Israel had been conquered by the Romans who ruled the land with an iron fist.
Mary lived in an out of the way town of Nazareth, a poor community that was looked down on by
many other Jewish people in the land.
(01:53):
And Mary was in her early teens when a potentially terrifying thing happened.
She was confronted by an angel.
This angel was not one of the cute cherubs we may see sitting on a mantle or hanging
on a tree.
This was Gabriel, Archangel of the Lord of Hosts.
Throughout scripture, when angels talked to people like Daniel, John, Isaiah, and others,
(02:14):
they were initially terrified.
This is the kind of angel that appeared to Mary.
When the angel spoke to Mary, scripture says she was greatly troubled by his words.
That's probably an understatement.
In the synagogue, she had undoubtedly heard stories of angelic encounters of the past.
There were the angels who brought Lot and his family out of Sodom before destroying
(02:34):
it, the angel who stood before Balaam in order to kill him, the angel who brought plague
on Israel, and others.
But this Mary, Gabriel, came to Mary with kind, encouraging words.
As you can imagine, she was not sure what to think of at all.
Whenever angels entered the scene, big, life-altering things happened.
(02:55):
This young teenage girl from a small rural village was afraid of what might lie ahead,
the unknown.
The unknown is at the heart of most fear.
How will the event change our life?
How will people respond to you?
It's all unknown.
The angel knew Mary's anxious thoughts and spoke words of comfort.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
You have found favor with God, he said in Luke 1.30.
(03:19):
The Greek word translated favor here is charis, which speaks of grace and kindness.
Gabriel was telling Mary, you have God's grace and kindness on you, so do not fear.
In scripture, the Lord says the same thing to us.
Do not fear.
We also live in God's grace and kindness.
(03:40):
Romans 5, 1-3 tells us that since we have been justified through faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into His
grace, His charis, in which we now stand.
By faith, we have access to God's kindness, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
(04:03):
So we can trust God completely with the unknowns of our lives.
So do not fear anything.
By faith, live in the grace and kindness of God today and in your unknown future, just
like Mary did.
From time to time, of course, we all struggle with doubt.
Believe me, I understand it's one of Satan's favorite tools.
Did God say?
(04:23):
It's often used to sow doubt in our minds and shake our faith.
And sometimes we raise the shadow of doubt on our own without Satan's intervention.
It's hard to imagine change will come when things have been the same for so long and
when the promise of something we have never seen or heard is made, it seems safer to cling
to doubt.
Mary faced a huge unknown.
(04:44):
When the angel told her she would be the mother of their long-awaited Messiah, Mary had questions.
The angel also told her that her elderly relative Elizabeth was also pregnant.
She needed to check out the truth of these claims, so she was quick to visit Elizabeth
and she got the confirmation she needed.
Isn't God good?
He knew what he had told Mary was pretty hard to comprehend.
(05:08):
It would require a miracle when miracles were in short supply just then.
So God showed her the miracle of Elizabeth's pregnancy.
Elizabeth was well past childbearing years.
God did not take offense that Mary needed assurance.
30 or so years later, during Jesus' earthly ministry, news about the healings he performed
(05:28):
in the people he delivered spread like wildfire.
Even his disciples were being used to minister and heal.
So in Mark 9 verses 15 through 26, when a desperate father brings his deaf and infirm
son to them for help, he is full of hope.
But when Jesus' disciples were unable to heal his son, this father's face began to
(05:51):
slip.
When Jesus arrived on the scene and began inquiring about the boy, the father wasn't
even sure he could help.
If you can do anything, please take pity on us, he said.
I can imagine what was going through his mind.
Maybe Jesus has finally met his match.
Maybe my son can't be saved.
He wanted to believe Jesus' power would set his son free, but there was some doubt.
(06:13):
When Jesus proclaimed everything is possible for one who believes, the father was brutally
honest.
I do believe.
Help me overcome my unbelief, he said.
That's all Jesus needed.
He cast the demon out, healed the boy.
His father sure believed after that.
So if you struggle with doubting God or his promises, be honest with him.
(06:36):
Ask for his help.
And spend time reading the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
John 20 verses 30 and 31 says, Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus
is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(06:57):
The more you know Christ, the stronger your faith will grow.
Back to Mary.
Seeing Elizabeth was pregnant certainly bolstered Mary's faith, but she was still faced with
a huge transition with many unknowns.
She had no idea what lay ahead and how this would all play out.
Would Joseph her betrothed still agree to marry her?
What would happen when people found out she was pregnant?
(07:19):
How would her family react?
Of course, God had spoken to her and confirmed his word, but there were still a lot of unanswered
questions.
Have you ever felt like that?
Maybe you feel like that now.
Instead of focusing on the unknowns, Mary focused on what she did know, proclaiming
the goodness and provision of God in her life.
(07:40):
In Luke 1 verses 46 through 55, we see how she got her strength.
As she was standing there with Elizabeth, Mary's voice rang out with praise to God.
The New Living Translation reads, Oh, how my soul praises the Lord!
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of this lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call
(08:03):
me blessed.
For the mighty one is holy, and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things.
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands.
(08:28):
He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children, forever.
In the natural, she was still unmarried.
She still faced the potential of stoning or being ostracized.
And yet, she proclaims, How my soul rejoices in God my Savior!
(08:49):
For he took notice of this lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call
me blessed.
For the mighty one is holy, and he has done great things for me.
I know from experience, when we declare the goodness and faithfulness of God out loud
with our mouths, our spirit rises up and faith with it.
We're lifted up and begin seeing things from God's perspective and know His reality instead
(09:13):
of the world's perception of things.
I have no doubt that is what happened to Mary too, as she declared the goodness and faithfulness
of God.
Faith and joy rose up in her so strongly that it lifted all doubt and fear.
Over and over again in the Psalms, we see David do this.
When he was being chased by his enemies, or was betrayed by a friend, or winning battles,
(09:37):
or receiving the adoration of his kingdom, David always focused on God.
No matter what David's mental or emotional state, when he starts telling of God's faithfulness
and goodness, his outlook always improves.
Maybe Mary learned that secret hearing stories about David at synagogue when she was a young
girl.
It's a secret worth learning.
(09:59):
When we put this into practice, it not only changes our perspective.
We invite God's miraculous peace, power, and favor into our situation, and that is
always good.
If you're facing unknowns, take a few moments to focus on God's faithfulness and proclaim
His goodness in your life as well.
Sometimes when I don't know where to start, I pick out a Psalm and personalize it.
(10:22):
I say it out loud.
So as many of my senses as possible are engaged in reading, saying, and hearing the truth.
Psalm 103 is a great place to start.
I'll give you an example, Jody, praise the Lord.
Everything in me, praise His holy name.
Yes, I say, praise the Lord, Jody, and don't forget any of His benefits.
The Lord, my God, forgives all my sins.
(10:46):
He heals all my diseases.
He has redeemed me, Jody Kirikosta, from the pit and crowned me with love and compassion.
The Lord satisfies my desires with good things and renews my youth like the eagles.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for me and for all the oppressed.
(11:07):
The Lord is compassionate and gracious to me.
He is slow to anger with me, abounding in love.
He does not treat me as my sins deserve or repay me for my wrongdoings, for as high as
the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's love for me.
Jesus has removed my sin from me as far as the east is from the west.
(11:29):
The Lord is my good and loving Father, tender and compassionate.
He knows my weaknesses, and still His love and kindness remain on me forever.
Amen.
There are a lot of great Psalms and other scriptures that lend themselves to this type
of proclamation.
Psalms 23, Psalm 37, Psalm 91 are all some of my favorites.
(11:53):
Try it out.
You'll find that fear of the unknown will dissipate, doubt will fade away, and faith
in God's goodness and faithfulness will rise up.
You'll experience the peace and the favor of God just as the angels have proclaimed.
Let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, you are good, and everything you do is good.
(12:15):
Teach me and my dear listening friends your ways so we will walk in your paths and not
waver in unbelief.
As we look forward to and celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the
life, let the reality of that take deep root in our hearts so we are all convinced of your
goodness and faithfulness in our lives.
And Lord, let each of these dear ones experience your favor, your peace in their lives and
(12:40):
in their families.
I ask for breakthroughs, miracles, healing, and salvations to visit their homes, their
families, their churches, their communities.
Let them be the beautiful fragrance of Christ to all those they meet.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Merry Christmas, dear ones.
If you enjoyed this episode, you will love our Her God Story devotional.
(13:01):
You can get a six-week devotional on Women of the Bible by going to hergodstory.org,
just signing up.
Or you can purchase a 12-week devotional on Women of the Bible that will send you for
just $12.
And you'll know that you're also helping widows and orphans with the proceeds.
We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line, so give us a call or text anytime
(13:22):
at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.
And now I bless you with the proclamation of the angels in Luke 2, 14.
Glory to God in the highest, and may peace and God's favor rest on you.
Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.
(13:44):
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.
Hey friends, thank you for joining me for a bit of encouragement and inspiration in
(00:04):
your walk with the Lord during this very busy holiday time of year.
I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and international
author and traveler on this journey of faith.
This episode is dedicated to my wonderful mom, Mary, on her birthday.
She has been an amazing example of following Jesus and of putting her faith and trust in
(00:26):
God and in honor of her and of this Christmas season, I'm going to share a little from
the story of another Mary, Mary the mother of Jesus.
But better than celebrating my mom on her birthday is celebrating the birth, the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas.
I love Christmas and all the joy and expectation that comes with it.
(00:47):
It's the time of year we hear a lot of peace on earth, goodwill to men, or God's favor
on men because that is God's desire and plan for us.
But let's be real, the past few years have been anything but peaceful.
Fear and anxiety is a very real part of our world.
Civil unrest, racial tensions, political instability, war, inflation, disease, natural disaster,
(01:12):
and so on have caused more and more people to experience a high degree of stress and
worry.
A survey published on safehome.org a couple years ago said that 45% of the people in the
US reported an increase in daily anxiety levels and 39% report regularly losing sleep at night
because of it.
(01:32):
And since that survey was done, things have gotten even more chaotic for many people.
In Mary's day, things were not very peaceful either.
Israel had been conquered by the Romans who ruled the land with an iron fist.
Mary lived in an out of the way town of Nazareth, a poor community that was looked down on by
many other Jewish people in the land.
(01:53):
And Mary was in her early teens when a potentially terrifying thing happened.
She was confronted by an angel.
This angel was not one of the cute cherubs we may see sitting on a mantle or hanging
on a tree.
This was Gabriel, Archangel of the Lord of Hosts.
Throughout scripture, when angels talked to people like Daniel, John, Isaiah, and others,
(02:14):
they were initially terrified.
This is the kind of angel that appeared to Mary.
When the angel spoke to Mary, scripture says she was greatly troubled by his words.
That's probably an understatement.
In the synagogue, she had undoubtedly heard stories of angelic encounters of the past.
There were the angels who brought Lot and his family out of Sodom before destroying
(02:34):
it, the angel who stood before Balaam in order to kill him, the angel who brought plague
on Israel, and others.
But this Mary, Gabriel, came to Mary with kind, encouraging words.
As you can imagine, she was not sure what to think of at all.
Whenever angels entered the scene, big, life-altering things happened.
(02:55):
This young teenage girl from a small rural village was afraid of what might lie ahead,
the unknown.
The unknown is at the heart of most fear.
How will the event change our life?
How will people respond to you?
It's all unknown.
The angel knew Mary's anxious thoughts and spoke words of comfort.
Do not be afraid, Mary.
You have found favor with God, he said in Luke 1.30.
(03:19):
The Greek word translated favor here is charis, which speaks of grace and kindness.
Gabriel was telling Mary, you have God's grace and kindness on you, so do not fear.
In scripture, the Lord says the same thing to us.
Do not fear.
We also live in God's grace and kindness.
(03:40):
Romans 5, 1-3 tells us that since we have been justified through faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into His
grace, His charis, in which we now stand.
By faith, we have access to God's kindness, which is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
(04:03):
So we can trust God completely with the unknowns of our lives.
So do not fear anything.
By faith, live in the grace and kindness of God today and in your unknown future, just
like Mary did.
From time to time, of course, we all struggle with doubt.
Believe me, I understand it's one of Satan's favorite tools.
Did God say?
(04:23):
It's often used to sow doubt in our minds and shake our faith.
And sometimes we raise the shadow of doubt on our own without Satan's intervention.
It's hard to imagine change will come when things have been the same for so long and
when the promise of something we have never seen or heard is made, it seems safer to cling
to doubt.
Mary faced a huge unknown.
(04:44):
When the angel told her she would be the mother of their long-awaited Messiah, Mary had questions.
The angel also told her that her elderly relative Elizabeth was also pregnant.
She needed to check out the truth of these claims, so she was quick to visit Elizabeth
and she got the confirmation she needed.
Isn't God good?
He knew what he had told Mary was pretty hard to comprehend.
(05:08):
It would require a miracle when miracles were in short supply just then.
So God showed her the miracle of Elizabeth's pregnancy.
Elizabeth was well past childbearing years.
God did not take offense that Mary needed assurance.
30 or so years later, during Jesus' earthly ministry, news about the healings he performed
(05:28):
in the people he delivered spread like wildfire.
Even his disciples were being used to minister and heal.
So in Mark 9 verses 15 through 26, when a desperate father brings his deaf and infirm
son to them for help, he is full of hope.
But when Jesus' disciples were unable to heal his son, this father's face began to
(05:51):
slip.
When Jesus arrived on the scene and began inquiring about the boy, the father wasn't
even sure he could help.
If you can do anything, please take pity on us, he said.
I can imagine what was going through his mind.
Maybe Jesus has finally met his match.
Maybe my son can't be saved.
He wanted to believe Jesus' power would set his son free, but there was some doubt.
(06:13):
When Jesus proclaimed everything is possible for one who believes, the father was brutally
honest.
I do believe.
Help me overcome my unbelief, he said.
That's all Jesus needed.
He cast the demon out, healed the boy.
His father sure believed after that.
So if you struggle with doubting God or his promises, be honest with him.
(06:36):
Ask for his help.
And spend time reading the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
John 20 verses 30 and 31 says, Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus
is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(06:57):
The more you know Christ, the stronger your faith will grow.
Back to Mary.
Seeing Elizabeth was pregnant certainly bolstered Mary's faith, but she was still faced with
a huge transition with many unknowns.
She had no idea what lay ahead and how this would all play out.
Would Joseph her betrothed still agree to marry her?
What would happen when people found out she was pregnant?
(07:19):
How would her family react?
Of course, God had spoken to her and confirmed his word, but there were still a lot of unanswered
questions.
Have you ever felt like that?
Maybe you feel like that now.
Instead of focusing on the unknowns, Mary focused on what she did know, proclaiming
the goodness and provision of God in her life.
(07:40):
In Luke 1 verses 46 through 55, we see how she got her strength.
As she was standing there with Elizabeth, Mary's voice rang out with praise to God.
The New Living Translation reads, Oh, how my soul praises the Lord!
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of this lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call
(08:03):
me blessed.
For the mighty one is holy, and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things.
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands.
(08:28):
He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children, forever.
In the natural, she was still unmarried.
She still faced the potential of stoning or being ostracized.
And yet, she proclaims, How my soul rejoices in God my Savior!
(08:49):
For he took notice of this lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call
me blessed.
For the mighty one is holy, and he has done great things for me.
I know from experience, when we declare the goodness and faithfulness of God out loud
with our mouths, our spirit rises up and faith with it.
We're lifted up and begin seeing things from God's perspective and know His reality instead
(09:13):
of the world's perception of things.
I have no doubt that is what happened to Mary too, as she declared the goodness and faithfulness
of God.
Faith and joy rose up in her so strongly that it lifted all doubt and fear.
Over and over again in the Psalms, we see David do this.
When he was being chased by his enemies, or was betrayed by a friend, or winning battles,
(09:37):
or receiving the adoration of his kingdom, David always focused on God.
No matter what David's mental or emotional state, when he starts telling of God's faithfulness
and goodness, his outlook always improves.
Maybe Mary learned that secret hearing stories about David at synagogue when she was a young
girl.
It's a secret worth learning.
(09:59):
When we put this into practice, it not only changes our perspective.
We invite God's miraculous peace, power, and favor into our situation, and that is
always good.
If you're facing unknowns, take a few moments to focus on God's faithfulness and proclaim
His goodness in your life as well.
Sometimes when I don't know where to start, I pick out a Psalm and personalize it.
(10:22):
I say it out loud.
So as many of my senses as possible are engaged in reading, saying, and hearing the truth.
Psalm 103 is a great place to start.
I'll give you an example, Jody, praise the Lord.
Everything in me, praise His holy name.
Yes, I say, praise the Lord, Jody, and don't forget any of His benefits.
The Lord, my God, forgives all my sins.
(10:46):
He heals all my diseases.
He has redeemed me, Jody Kirikosta, from the pit and crowned me with love and compassion.
The Lord satisfies my desires with good things and renews my youth like the eagles.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for me and for all the oppressed.
(11:07):
The Lord is compassionate and gracious to me.
He is slow to anger with me, abounding in love.
He does not treat me as my sins deserve or repay me for my wrongdoings, for as high as
the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's love for me.
Jesus has removed my sin from me as far as the east is from the west.
(11:29):
The Lord is my good and loving Father, tender and compassionate.
He knows my weaknesses, and still His love and kindness remain on me forever.
Amen.
There are a lot of great Psalms and other scriptures that lend themselves to this type
of proclamation.
Psalms 23, Psalm 37, Psalm 91 are all some of my favorites.
(11:53):
Try it out.
You'll find that fear of the unknown will dissipate, doubt will fade away, and faith
in God's goodness and faithfulness will rise up.
You'll experience the peace and the favor of God just as the angels have proclaimed.
Let me pray for you.
Heavenly Father, you are good, and everything you do is good.
(12:15):
Teach me and my dear listening friends your ways so we will walk in your paths and not
waver in unbelief.
As we look forward to and celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the
life, let the reality of that take deep root in our hearts so we are all convinced of your
goodness and faithfulness in our lives.
And Lord, let each of these dear ones experience your favor, your peace in their lives and
(12:40):
in their families.
I ask for breakthroughs, miracles, healing, and salvations to visit their homes, their
families, their churches, their communities.
Let them be the beautiful fragrance of Christ to all those they meet.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Merry Christmas, dear ones.
If you enjoyed this episode, you will love our Her God Story devotional.
(13:01):
You can get a six-week devotional on Women of the Bible by going to hergodstory.org,
just signing up.
Or you can purchase a 12-week devotional on Women of the Bible that will send you for
just $12.
And you'll know that you're also helping widows and orphans with the proceeds.
We'd love to pray with you on our 24-7 prayer and text line, so give us a call or text anytime
(13:22):
at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.
And now I bless you with the proclamation of the angels in Luke 2, 14.
Glory to God in the highest, and may peace and God's favor rest on you.
Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.
(13:44):
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.
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