ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tusite Tisema 4, 2018

“ ‘a koe kuo ‘ofeina”

FOLOFOLA

Luke 1:26-28

26 Pea ‘i hono ono māhina, na‘e fekau mei he ‘Otua ‘a e ‘āngelo ko Kepaleli ki ha kolo ‘o Kāleli na‘e hingoa ko Nāsaleti, 27 ke ne ‘alu ki ha tāupo‘ou na‘e polo‘i ki ha tangata ‘i he hako ‘o Tēvita, na‘e hingoa ko Siosifa; pea ko e hingoa ‘o e ta‘ahine ko Mele.28 Pea ‘i he‘ene a‘u atu kiate ia na‘a ne pehē, Si‘oto‘ofa, ‘a koe kuo ‘ofeina: ‘oku ‘iate koe ‘a e ‘Eiki.

FAKAMATALA

Ko ha toki ongoongo fakalotolahi eni kia Mele he‘ene ongona ‘oku “ofeina” ia ‘e he ‘Otuá. Na‘e mei malava pe ke ne ma‘u ha tala ‘oku ‘ikai ke hoifua mai ‘a e ‘Otuá  kiate ia pe ‘e fakamaau‘i ia.

Ko e fe‘iloaki ko eni ‘a e ‘angeló  mo Mele ‘oku fakamanatu mai ‘a e fetapa ‘a e ‘Otuá mo Siosiua ‘i he‘ene fetongi ‘a Mosesé;

“ ‘Ikai kuo u kouna koe? Ke ke lototo‘a, mo tu‘u kalikali; ‘oua te ke manavahē, pea ‘oua te ke tailiili; he ko Sihova ko ho ‘Otua te ne ‘iate koe ‘i he me‘a kotoa ‘oku ke ‘alu ki ai.” Siosiua 1:9

FEKAU

‘Oku faingofua ma‘u pe ke tau siofi ‘a e taimi ‘oku ‘ikai hoko mai ai ha tapuaki pe monū kiate kitautolú. ‘Ikai ngata aí, ka ‘oku tau fa‘a ongo‘i vaivai mo fo‘i ‘i he‘etau fehangahangai mo ha ngaahi me‘a ‘oku fiema‘u ai ha ivi lahi mo e to‘a. Ka neongo pe ‘oku faingata‘a fēfē fau ha me‘a ‘oku tau fou ai, ‘oku fiema‘u ke tau manatu ma‘u pe ‘oku tau fe‘ao ma‘u pe mo e ‘Otuá  he ‘oku ne ‘iate kitautolu.

FETAPA

‘E ‘Otua, ‘oku ou fakamālō atu he ‘oku ke ‘iate au ma‘u pe, ‘o a‘u ki he taimi ‘oku ou ongo‘i ai ‘oku ke mama‘o meiate au, ka ‘oku ‘ikai! ‘Oku ke ‘iate au ‘i he ngaahi ‘aho leleí  pea tautefito ki he ngaahi ‘aho koví. Malo ‘Eiki. ‘Emeni.

“you who are highly favored!”

SCRIPTURE

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Luke 1:26-28

OBSERVATION

It must have been reassuring for Mary to hear the angel say, "You are highly favored. She just as easily could have assumed the exact opposite - that she was not favored by God and that He was punishing her for some reason and ruining her life.

Mary's meeting with the angel reminds me of God's interaction with Joshua after he took over for Moses. God said to Joshua:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

APPLICATION

It can be easy to focus on the times in our lives that don't seem to go our way. Too often we become discouraged while facing a situation that requires strength and courage. Despite how difficult a situation may seem, we need to remember that God is right there with us.

PRAYER

God, thank you for the fact that you are always with me. Even during the times that seem like you are far away, you aren't. You're right there beside me, during my best days and especially during my worst. Thank you. Amen.

Ko e hā e ‘uhinga na‘e “ ‘ofeina” ai ‘a Mele? Na‘e ‘i ai hano fa‘ahinga tu‘unga pe makehe‘anga? Pe na‘e fili pe ia ‘e he ‘Otuá ‘i he‘ene fa‘iteliha? –

(Why do you think Mary was “highly favoured” ? Did she have any kind of special skills or status? Or do you think God chose her just because?)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ko e laine faka‘osi ‘o e potu tohi ‘o e ‘aho ni, “ ‘oku ‘iate koe ‘a e ‘Eiki” – ko e hā ‘a ‘ene tokoni kiate koe ‘i ho‘o ako pe ngaue pe ha tu‘unga pe?

(The last line of today’s Scripture says, “the Lord is with you” – what comfort do you get from this in your area of need - school, work or whatever situation you’re in?)

_____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________