When the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and told her about God’s plan in her life, Mary obeyed, even though it would affect her life tremendously. God had chosen Mary to be the one who would bear the savior of the Lord. Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her. But despite her young age, she was willing to sacrifice her comfort over her desire to serve the Lord. She knew that many people would not understand what about to happen to her. Even her husband to be, Joseph, would never understand. In fact, Joseph was shocked and devastated when she found out that Mary was pregnant, and he tried to quietly break his relationship with her because he thought that Mary had another man. Mary could have been accused of committing adultery by the community and be legally stoned to death. However, she trusted God completely. She knew that God would take care of her if she would completely surrender her life to Him.
Because of her tremendous faith in God, she was able to experience God’s power in her life. She bore and nursed Jesus, the Savior of the world. Could you imagine what would that felt like having God in your arms? That must have been a powerful experience. When Mary kissed the baby Jesus, she kissed the face of God. All her fear was gone, and it was replaced with awe before God.
As Mary learned to obey God, we need to do the same. We need to be willing to sacrificially surrender our lives to God because when we completely surrender our lives to Him, we will experience God’s power in our lives. There are times that it is difficult for us to give up our dreams and wants, but God can give us something much greater than what we can imagine. He knows what is best for us. When Mary heard that God wanted her to bear the savior of the world, she asked, “How can this be, I am a virgin?” Mary could not comprehend how she would get pregnant since she was still single. Although she couldn’t understand it all, she was willing to do whatever God was asking her. As a result, she was able to bear the savior of the world. So let us not be afraid to do whatever God is asking us to do. He is going to take care of everything. All we have to do is to trust and obey.
Ask yourself these questions: Do I completely trust God with my whole life? Am I willing to surrender my life to God over my wants and desires? Do I trust God that He has a better plan in my life, more than what I can imagine?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you for the life of Mary. Please help me to completely surrender my life to you just like what Mary did. I want to experience your power and presence in my life. May you give me a willing heart to trust and follow you. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.