“Let it be…”
Do you find Mary’s faith surprising?
A young, innocent 14-year-old teenager has an encounter with an angel. If that were not terrifying enough, the news the angel shared was so unbelievable that Mary must have been reeling: you’re going to have a baby, even though you’ve never been with a man, and that baby will be the long-awaited Messiah. She responded, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38, NRSVUE).
How would you have responded?
When there is prompting from the Holy Spirit, a sense to move in a certain direction, I rarely pack up my bags and go as Abraham did or willingly accept like Mary. (Genesis 12:1,4). My first response tends to be loaded with questions. I am more like Zechariah, who needed the assurance that what the angel said was indeed what God wanted.
I don’t always respond with faith, even though my heart desires to.
Seeing Mary’s unwavering faith at such a young age is impressive. She had just received the most incredible news about the long-awaited Messiah, but this news was coupled with an unsettling role she would have in His entry. Accepting the role would cost significantly, but she still willingly agreed.
If Mary ever had dreams about her wedding, how her fiancee would see her, or had concerns about what others would think about her and what her future would look like, with one visit from an angel, her world was turned upside down.
Although Mary’s desire for an earthly king would have made her the mother of Israel’s deliverer, she still had to face the challenge of being pregnant out of wedlock.
The Messiah would come to save the world, but before He had even arrived, could he prevent his mother from being ostracized, mend her marriage, and restore her reputation?
Mary took the angel’s words to heart, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, NRSV). She responded with words that echoed the faith of the prophet Isaiah when he heard God’s call. Isaiah replied, “Here am I; send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, NRSVUE)
How can we respond with faith first?
Perspective
Her knowledge and trust influenced Mary’s outlook on who she believed God to be, which was demonstrated in her song of praise. (Luke 1:46-55)
Mary believed God to be:
- Her Lord and Savior. (1:46-47)
- A God who took notice of her. (1:48)
- The Mighty One who does great things. (1:49)
- Merciful. (1:50)
- A strengthener of the weak. (1:51-52)
- A giver of good things. (1:53)
- Her helper. (1:54)
Our faith is affected by how we view God to be in our life.
Position
Somewhere along Mary’s faith journey, she had embraced her position in her relation to God. She saw herself as His servant. Like a soldier receiving commands from a superior officer, she was ready to carry out her orders despite the cost. (2 Timothy 2:4, also see Standing Strong) Yielding her rights, hopes, and dreams, Mary took her place in God’s plan.
Our faith is affected by how we view ourselves within God’s kingdom.
Preparedness
Mary’s belief in God gave her a solid perspective as she believed in His promises, which affected how she viewed herself. The fundamental beliefs of who God is and who she is prepared Mary to respond in faith when the call came for her to step up and accept the mission for which God was calling her. The words out of her mouth revealed the faith in her heart.
Our faith is affected by our intentionality.
When we have the proper perspective of God, and embrace our position in God’s kingdom, we are more prepared to answer God’s call with “let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38, NRSVUE).
I pray you grow in your understanding of who God is so much so that you operate with confidence in who you are. You see yourself the way He sees you. May you always move to a faith-filled response each time God leads you. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: God strengthens the weak.
Reflect: How do you typically respond when God leads you to do something? Out of the three – perspective, position, and preparedness – which one needs more attention? What is one thing you can do to grow more in the area that needs attention?
Deeper: Luke 1: 26-38; Luke 1:46-55; Ephesians 3:16-21
For further encouragement, listen to the PODCAST on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, IHeartRadio, and Podbean. Search God’s Word Gives Hope. LISTEN NOW
Receive Hope Every Week with Janae’s Thrive Newsletter, blog link included – Subscribe here
JSC Life & Leadership Coaching – I believe God has created each of us to thrive. Where are you not thriving? Work? Home? Life? Let me coach you. Contact me to schedule a consultation, and let’s get you moving forward. Contact Janae
Did you know you can follow God’s Word Gives Hope on Facebook and Instagram?
(Bible References: NRSVUE – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
#GodsWordGivesHope
#Hope #Bible #christianity
#faith #teenager #theimpossible
#christianitytoday
#JSCLifeandLeadershipCoaching
