Make Room for Hope
Week One of the Prepare Him Room Advent Series: Hope
Devotional: Make Room for Hope
Scripture: Luke 1:26–38
We think we know her story so well, don’t we? Mary—the young woman interrupted by an angel, stunned by a message that would alter her entire life. She wasn’t looking for a monumental task. She wasn’t trying to make her mark or be remembered forever. But she was faithful to the task, and God met her with an invitation she could not have expected: to carry Hope itself into the world.
The thing about Mary is this: while she did ask questions, she didn’t resist the promise of hope. Like the generations of God’s people who had come before her - the eyes of her heart were eager for a Messiah.
What she didn’t do? She didn’t rush off to figure it all out, try to make a plan, clean her house, or develop a to-do list to shepherd the hope that was to come. She didn’t tell the angel, “Ok, I’ll take it from here. I’ll work this out!” Instead, she paused. She praised God. She listened. And in her listening, she made room for the promise of God.
Her words echo in my heart as I imagine her voice, trembling yet steady: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
What can we learn from Mary in this season?
Maybe more importantly - what can we remember about God?
How can we make room for God’s promises, even if we’re busy, overwhelmed, and used to making iti all happen? I know the pull of a full life. I know the deafening noise, the complicated plans, the never-ending tasks—they all threaten to drown out His voice. But friend, God’s promises are still here, steady and unchanging. Are we pausing long enough to hear them?
This week, I want to invite you to slow down. Like Mary, let’s make room for hope.