Susan LaffertyFamine. It’s coming.
An odd theme to consider in the middle of Thanksgiving season. But there it is. In my daily Bible reading.
Amos the herdsman delivers this word of the Lord. To a people nonchalant. Complacent. And ultimately resistant.
Unwilling to repent.
And this is no scarcity of grain in lean years. Nothing like the famine of Joseph’s day.
Jesus.
The radiance of God’s glory. The exact expression of His nature. He sustains all things by His powerful word. (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Radiance, cloaked. Hidden. In the womb of a young woman named Mary.
And there, the One who knits us together is knit together. Formed. Protected. Nourished.
And the time comes. Always anticipated, yet surprising. Sudden. Arriving with birth pangs. Labor.
And unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given.
“How can this be…?” Mary asks. Stunned. Confused by the angel Gabriel’s announcement.
How can a virgin conceive and give birth to the Son of the Most High whose kingdom will have no end?
The angel is tender in his response to this young woman. Explaining what will happen. That the Holy Spirit will come upon her. And the power of the Most High will overshadow her.
