“For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37

As a freshman in high school, my son, Mason, is in an advanced Spanish class. It’s proving to be more difficult than he expected. Despite practicing with him, he still lacked confidence the night before his quiz. My advice was: “If you review your flashcards at breakfast tomorrow morning, again after first period, and then again right before the quiz, I promise you you’ll get at least a B, if not an A.”

As he went up to bed, I wondered if I should have made that promise.

My promise would only come true if Mason applied himself during those reviews and during the quiz. It was all contingent upon his effort. He’d have to perform in order to receive the reward.

When the angel approached Mary to tell her she was going to be the mother of God, she lacked confidence. Not only did she doubt that she was worthy, she knew it was impossible for a virgin to become pregnant. The angel went on to explain how it was going to come to pass, and He secured the promise by saying, “For no word from God will ever fail.”

These words leave NO room for doubt, NO room for false promises. When God puts words to His will, it’s a done deal. Mary didn’t have to strive for it. She just had to let it unfold.

The message is: We never have to strive either. If God wills something for us, it will never fail. All we have to do is participate, and allow it to unfold.

If we’re jumping through hoops, burning the candle at both ends, or running ourselves ragged with endless tasks, we’re either duplicating God’s efforts, or we’re trying to will something of our own into being. We can stay on this path and hope for the best, but our success will always be dependent upon our effort.

God-ordained callings don’t work that way. When we use the gifts and talents we’ve been blessed with for God’s glory, He clears the way.

We know we’re on the right path when things seem to magically happen for us. It’s confirmation that we’ve discovered God’s will for us, and it will never fail.

Questions for Reflection:

• Have I been striving to achieve something that’s requiring me to jump through too many hoops?
• Have I ever experienced God’s will for me unfold, almost effortlessly?

If we’re jumping through hoops, burning the candle at both ends, or running ourselves ragged with endless tasks, we’re either duplicating God’s efforts, or we’re trying to will something of our own into being.

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