01/08/2025
WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto A CITY OF GALILEE, NAMED NAZARETH,
27 TO A VIRGIN ESPOUSED TO A MAN whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And THE ANGEL CAME IN UNTO HER, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN." Luke 1:26-28 (KJV) [Emphasis added]
The Holy Spirit opened the 2025 Women’s Conference with this profound passage.
NAZARETH AND ITS BAGGAGE
Consider Nathanael’s reaction when he heard that Jesus was from Nazareth:
"And Nathanael said unto him, CAN THERE ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold AN ISRAELITE INDEED, IN WHOM IS NO GUILE!" John 1:46-47 (KJV) [Emphasis added]
If these words had come from a bitter man or a casual skeptic, they might be dismissed. But Nathanael was a man “in whom is no guile”—sincere and honest. His statement reflects a brutal truth: Nazareth had a reputation. In the eyes of his generation, it was a place of no significance, no greatness, no divine promise.
The same stigma often rests on women—especially in religious and cultural spaces. Many today still believe that “nothing good can come from her.” And sadly, even the Church, where the woman should have found hope and restoration, often mirrors the world’s bias.
Consider the words of the religious leaders to Nicodemus:
"They (the rulers)!answered and said unto him (Nicodemus), Art thou also of Galilee? Search (the Scriptures), and look (well): for (as far as the Scripture is concerned) out of Galilee ariseth no prophet (God's mouthpiece, God's voice)." John 7:52 (KJV) [Emphasis added]
They believed Scripture itself confirmed Galilee’s spiritual sterility. So Nazareth—obscure and scorned—stood no chance.
And so is the woman, in the eyes of many. Society gives her no chance. The Church, too often, stands with a stack of verses:
“Let your women keep silence in the churches,”
“I suffer not a woman to teach…”
Each verse weaponized to drive her to the background, as though her voice were an affront to God.
Yet—God chose Nazareth.
And in that place where no one expected divine visitation, He sent Gabriel.
And to a woman, written off by society, He entrusted the conception of Christ!
YOU MAY BE WRITTEN OFF — BUT NOT BY GOD
Being written off by society or even the Church does not mean God has written you off.
Being seen as a curse by some does not mean you are not a blessing in the hands of God.
God delights in raising the unlikely. He bypasses religious prejudices and cultural scorn to deposit His glory where no one expects it.
THOUGH A VIRGIN… BUT ESPOUSED TO A MAN
Mary was a virgin—but not without encumbrances.
She was espoused to a man.
Sometimes, the woman God seeks to use is already claimed—
- Espoused to sin,
- Tied to past failures,
- Bound by ambitions,
- Controlled by lust,
- Gripped by fear, or
- Even owned by the expectations of others.
Mary was espoused to Joseph, a man from the house of David—a good man, from a godly lineage. Yet, the love God had for the house of David didn’t stop Him from intervening. He had to separate Mary for His divine purpose.
So too, no matter what or who has laid claim to your life, God has come to take you for Himself—to do what He alone can do through you.
BLESSED AMONG WOMEN
The angel didn’t say Mary was blessed above women.
He said she was blessed among women.
God’s favor didn’t exclude her from womanhood—it elevated her within it.
Your womanhood is not a limitation—it is the context for God’s glory to be revealed.
You are not blessed despite being a woman.
You are blessed as a woman!
SO, WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE?
Divine visitation.
God’s choosing.
His favour.
That is what makes the difference.
Not the city you come from.
Not your past.
Not what people say.
Not even what religious traditions expect.
When God visits, the forgotten are remembered.
When God speaks, the silent are restored.
When God chooses, the rejected are raised.
Sisters, you may come from Nazareth.
You may feel disqualified.
You may be espoused to burdens.
But if the Lord is with you…
You are highly favoured.
You are blessed among women.
And God will bring forth His Christ through you.
Watch the message here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CMg3a85qG/
Shalom!
