Mary

December 1, 2010


Have you ever felt that God was calling you to do something, but you did not feel up to the task? Most of us go through this. It is a common response to God. When God calls us we are very quick to remind Him how we are unable to do what He wants us to do. It’s kind of odd how often we feel the need to remind the creator of the universe about our weakness. Mary stands as our example in surrendering to God’s will. Can you imagine how she must have felt when the angel proclaimed to her that she would be the mother of the Savior? No pressure there on a teenage girl about to be married.

• Luke 1:26-38 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you![a]” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[b] forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.[c]” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

There are three things that we can learn from Mary. First, we must trust God that He knows what is best for you. We say we trust God, but most often we only trust Him on our terms. He calls us to speak to someone in a store, or encourage someone we do not know. We say, “Oh there must be someone better at this than me”. Too often we do not have an appropriate understanding of our worth and potential in Christ. I know full well that God has given me the ability to sing, I also know full well that if it were not for the grace of God I could not play piano. I understand my ability and my inability, in the end I have to trust God every service to accomplish through me what He wants.

Second, we must have faith that what God has said will happen, will be accomplished through us. It would have done the world no good if Mary had trusted that God knows best but not believed it would really happen. You may be sitting here tonight knowing that God has called you, but you really don’t believe it can happen. Our adoption is sort of like this. I know and I trust God that He has called us to adopt, but do I really have faith to believe He will provide all that we need to accomplish it. In all honesty I can stand before you tonight and say that I do. Mary had to trust in what God was calling her to do and have faith that it would come about.

Last, we must surrender to God’s will. This is what Mary did. Look at verse 38 again, “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” In these simple words Mary surrenders to God’s will. Why is it so hard for us to do the same? All we need to do is tell God, here I am do with me as you please and may your will be accomplished through my life. What does God want from you? He wants you to surrender to Him. All that you are and all that you have are His. He simply wants to know that you will do as He has asked you. Are you willing to surrender to Him?