Accept and Receive
A young virgin girl named Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel. The first thing he said to her was:
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."
Luke 1:28 NKJ
Mary had no idea as to what Gabriel meant by this. As she tried to figure it out, Gabriel spoke again, explaining in detail what God was planning to do with her and how it would change the world. Her reply is most impressive.
Then Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said."
Luke 1:38 Amplified
Instead of listing all the reasons why she was not the best person for this job or trying to explain what she wanted out of life, Mary gladly and willingly accepted and received God's message and assignment. She did not insist on having her way or giving conditions for her participation or even mention what people will say if she shows up pregnant out of wedlock. She totally let God be in control and work out all the details. Notice He did not tell her how Joseph would respond to this plan and neither did she ask. She simply trusted God.
Having to choose between what you want and what God wants seems like a no brainer on paper but in real life our affections for what we think is best are often very difficult to let go of. I have had times like this where I struggled between the two and I wish I could say I always chose His way but I did not. I would bet you have experienced the same thing.
Compare Mary's response to Gabriel to Zachariah's response in Luke 1:18. Zachariah's unbelief in the words of Gabriel caused him to be mute until the circumcision of his son. Even though God's plan prevailed in the end, think of how irritating it must have been for him to not be able to talk for over 9 months (they didn't have smart phones, computers, or PDA's).
Like Mary we must live open to God at all times by putting His will before our own desires. I've written several blogs about living open to God called "Open Lives" based on 2 Cor. 6:13 in the Message Bible. I encourage you to read them if you have not already.
A life that will change the world starts with the decision to live committed to God's plan instead of your own.
Heidirn
"Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."
Luke 1:28 NKJ
Mary had no idea as to what Gabriel meant by this. As she tried to figure it out, Gabriel spoke again, explaining in detail what God was planning to do with her and how it would change the world. Her reply is most impressive.
Then Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said."
Luke 1:38 Amplified
Instead of listing all the reasons why she was not the best person for this job or trying to explain what she wanted out of life, Mary gladly and willingly accepted and received God's message and assignment. She did not insist on having her way or giving conditions for her participation or even mention what people will say if she shows up pregnant out of wedlock. She totally let God be in control and work out all the details. Notice He did not tell her how Joseph would respond to this plan and neither did she ask. She simply trusted God.
Having to choose between what you want and what God wants seems like a no brainer on paper but in real life our affections for what we think is best are often very difficult to let go of. I have had times like this where I struggled between the two and I wish I could say I always chose His way but I did not. I would bet you have experienced the same thing.
Compare Mary's response to Gabriel to Zachariah's response in Luke 1:18. Zachariah's unbelief in the words of Gabriel caused him to be mute until the circumcision of his son. Even though God's plan prevailed in the end, think of how irritating it must have been for him to not be able to talk for over 9 months (they didn't have smart phones, computers, or PDA's).
Like Mary we must live open to God at all times by putting His will before our own desires. I've written several blogs about living open to God called "Open Lives" based on 2 Cor. 6:13 in the Message Bible. I encourage you to read them if you have not already.
A life that will change the world starts with the decision to live committed to God's plan instead of your own.
Heidirn
Comments
Post a Comment