YES

Sunday September 18, 2011 – Ezekie 45,46; Luke 1

S: Luke 1:38: Then Mary said “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word”. And the angel departed from her. (NKJV)
O: An angel appeared to Mary to tell her she has been chosen to be Jesus’ mother and she has agreed.
A: I love that it doesn’t say that Mary responded “I need to pray about it” or that she even thought about the consequences. These were not times when it was “okay” to be unmarried and pregnant. She understood the risk. She could be stoned to death or ostracized by her family. This teenage girl stood to lose everything. Yet her response was simply “let it be to me according to your word”. Mary understood what it meant to love the Lord. Mary understood obedience and how pleasing our obedience is to the Lord. There have been times in my life when I knew God was asking me to do something and I would like to tell you I responded just as Mary did. I did not. I whined and carried on and wrestled with my decision and I had much less at stake then Mary did. Eventually I did get to the place where I said “yes” but it was not without a little hesitation on my part. As I grow in my relationship with God I fall more and more in love. The more I love the more I desire to obey and to grant his wishes. I would like to think today my hesitation would pass more quickly.
P: Father God thank you for Mary and for the wonderful example she was of courage and obedience and love for you. Show me how to walk in her footsteps Lord. My heart’s desire is to please you and to walk in all of your ways. Search me Lord. Change me from the inside out that my response to you will always be “Let it be to me according to your word”. Amen.