Finding Favor

From Today’s One Year Bible Reading Plan at BibleInAYearOnline.com

"Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! - Luke 1:30 (NLT)

Fear and doubt are natural responses when life takes a sudden, unexpected turn. We see this clearly in Luke 1. Zechariah, a faithful priest, is struck mute for questioning the angel’s message about his coming son, John the Baptist. Yet Mary, a young girl from Nazareth, responds with a similar question about the miraculous birth of Jesus, and receives no rebuke. Instead, she is comforted: “You have found favor with God.”

Why the different response?

The key is in the word favor, translated from the Greek word charis, meaning grace. Mary wasn’t perfect, nor did she earn this favor through works or law-keeping. She received grace because of Jesus. Though He had not yet been born, God’s plan of redemption was already unfolding through her, and she responded with a heart open to receive it.

Zechariah, steeped in the law, approached the message with skepticism rooted in human limitations. Mary, though uncertain, received the word with faith. The contrast highlights the shift from the old covenant, focused on the law, to the new covenant, rooted in grace and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

This same grace is available to us today. We, too, have found favor with God—not because we have it all together, but because of Jesus. Through Him, we are spared from the consequences of our doubts, sins, and shortcomings, and welcomed into the abundant blessings of God’s favor.

Today, let this truth sink in: God’s grace covers you. Like Mary, you may have questions. You may even wrestle with fear. But because of Jesus, you are not disqualified. You are favored.

Reflection Question: How does remembering what Jesus did for you change the way you approach God and others today?

Prayer: Father, thank You that I have found favor with You through Jesus. Even in my doubts and fears, You cover me with grace. Help me to receive Your promises with faith and walk in the fullness of Your blessing. In Jesus' Name Amen.