Y’all… I get it. Can I be just absolutely raw here for a second? I have always looked at this and kind of laughed at how the angel says, “You’re highly favored and God is with you,” and Mary is really worried about what that means, but today I GET IT.

I realize I’m out of context here, but sometimes God calls you to something great, and you’re like, “Uh-oh… Wait…” He puts His hand on you and gives you a calling and it’s going to cost you. It’s going to hurt, it’s going to expose you to all kinds of attacks, it’s going to hit you in the finances, the emotions, the relationships, the livelihood, the health, and the mental well-being.

But He told you He’s with you, and that you’re highly favored, right?

Why do we think that means it’s going to be easy? It’s not. If anything, it’s harder. Look at the Psalms. Listen to David calling out to God over and over again, asking Him why his enemies are winning, why the world has turned against him, why his heart is breaking in his very chest?

And he’s a man after God’s own heart. God is with him, and he is highly favored.

What about Job? He lost LITERALLY EVERYTHING but his faith. His friends were the worst, his wife denounced his faith, everyone acted like what was happening to him was his fault including the death of his whole family.

But there was no one as righteous as Job. He was a man after God’s own heart.

This is where we learn the most about storing up treasures in Heaven. Do we think anything about Mary’s life was easy? Sure, her son was God, but she had to live through the scrutiny of being an unwed mother. Joseph died when Jesus was young, from what we can tell. Jesus was persecuted, gossiped about and hated, and that’s all before they put Him to death.

But look at the outcome. Look at the part she played in all of history. The history of EVERYTHING. Look at God’s goodness that came from her struggle and heartache.

That cliche about God giving His hardest battles to His strongest soldiers? I hate it. I think we all do. Instead of that, let’s just go back to the part where He strengthens us in the fire. This world isn’t the place that’s real, y’all. Heaven is real. Eternity is real. The troubles of this Earth are nothing compared to the joy that is coming.

I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now on a lot of levels, and I needed this reminder today. I hope you did too.