“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
Yesterday, we discussed Zechariah’s reaction to God’s revelation that he and his wife will have a child in their old age. Unfortunately, his response to the good news was not one of faith, which contrasts sharply with the Biblical heroine we’ll be discussing today: Mary. Mary is a young woman (in today’s terms, a teenager) who is betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of David, and is between the ages of 15 and 19. She is busy preparing her wedding, like any future bride would be, and looking forward to a long and happy life with her fiance. When the angel Gabriel arrives to her out of nowhere, everything changes and her circumstances are flipped upside down (just like he did to Zechariah). This time, God brings her a revelation that could have rocked her world: she, a virgin, was going to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and bear a son. You can picture the thoughts that were going through her head at the time… What is causing this? Why am I here? What do you think Joseph will say? What will my friends and family think? …but she simply responds, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Wow! I’m not sure about you, but that would not have been my reaction if I’d been told that everything in my life was about to change and that I’d have to give up what I thought I most wanted; nonetheless, Mary’s experience teaches us a valuable lesson. She said “yes” to God when she had everything to lose, and her willingness to work with Him impacted her life, the lives of her people, the world, and even the course of history! Friend, when God asks you to accomplish things that seem too difficult for you, I encourage you to use Mary’s perspective. Become the type of person who sees the potential, dream, or promise as far greater than the challenges currently in front of you, despite the agony. Learn your Heavenly Father’s heart and lean into His goodness even when you don’t understand. Faith and trust are developed and strengthened in beautiful new ways in your midst as you do this. The path you’re on may not make sense to you at times, but it makes perfect sense to the One who created you. If you just answer “yes” to His call, He will lead you to things that are far bigger than you can imagine! |
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your good plan for my life. I’m your servant, and I want you to use me to help you achieve your God-sized goals.
Reflection
When have you spoken “yes” to God and gotten something far more than you could have imagined?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
