December 9, 2025 - The Most High will Overshadow You

 The Most High Will Overshadow You

By Alexandra Graham

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,* and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived* a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

 As I was reading this, I was caught by the word “overshadow,” in verse 35 and decided to do a deeper dive. Of course, I had to find the right search terms because in our modern vernacular, “overshadow” is pejorative—no one wants to be overshadowed by someone else, or overlooked because of someone else. Honestly, sometimes I wonder about the end result of our “me first” culture. If we are all the time playing a zero-sum game, then there always has to be winners and losers. It’s so boggling to me because teamwork feels good. It feels so great to accomplish something with other people, creating something better than you would have alone. When it really works, teamwork is soul satisfying in ways that really can’t be measured and can only really be viscerally understood. Sort of like what the biblical “overshadow” means: “Overshadowed by God” refers to a state of being covered or enveloped by God’s presence, signifying His power, guidance, and intimate involvement.

Now, I’ve never had a situation like Mary, with that kind of “intimate involvement” with God. No kids coming out of this womb. But I have had the “enveloped by God’s presence” experience. Usually, it results in crying because my emotions all leak out my eyes.  

Last year, I was wrapping presents, happily listening to Christmas music, and I came across a new to me song: “Driving Home for Christmas” by Dermot Kennedy. I just sobbed like my heart was breaking. Listening to it now, and snotting all over the laptop, I think this particular rendition of the song hits my visceral longing for home. Not just the home we make here, but you know, home. The real one. The one where we are all finally at peace, the one where we are “enveloped by God’s presence” all the time. The place where we can relax and just be. If I were there, I would be very happy to be overshadowed by God (but I’d probably still cry).

I feel like most people get moments of God wrapping them up in His love, guiding them through life, but I don't feel like it's our quotidian experience. Most of the time, I guess we all just have to be a little like Mary: square up our shoulders and say, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

Prayer 

“May it be to me as you have said.” Thank you Father, for Mary’s faithfulness and willingness to be the mother of Jesus. Thank you for her example to us of Christian obedience. Help me to be faithful to you in every arena of my life – intellectually, vocationally, with my finances, my family, my body and my whole heart.  I am your servant Lord – may your word to me be fulfilled today.”

For Jesus’ sake,

Amen.

by Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing at PropelWomen.org