Luke 1:38

New International Version

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

For Meditation

In today’s world, the dating would have rolled over into an engagement. I am not talking about Western-world engagement. I am talking about a Ghanaian or Nigerian engagement with all the pomp and pageantry. My folks know how to take everything to the superlative level, and with unparalleled glamour. So, young and beautiful Yaa looks forward to their wedding day after the engagement. She yearns for the moment the officiating minister would pronounce her and Jackson, husband and wife, and “You may kiss your bride.” They have planned their honeymoon on a tropical island with its beautiful beaches. It is every young woman’s dream.

Circumstances have a way of interrupting our lives. The army has deployed Jackson on an emergency overseas assignment for an undetermined period. Is there any guarantee of his safe return from the war?

Some interruptions are cruel, while others could be gentle, but equally shocking. Both instances could change our lives in unexpected ways. So it was for a young woman in Israel.

On a typical day in Nazareth, a young woman, betrothed to a man named Joseph, had a strange visitor. Mary was eagerly waiting for the betrothal period to wind down so they could begin their marriage and lead a normal life. But that was not to be. God had a unique plan and a divine assignment for her. The marriage would come about, but Mary had to carry the Son of God in her virgin womb for a full term (Lk 1:26-35), and Joseph had to come along as the earthly father and provide a normal home for the Messiah to grow in (Matt 1:18-21). What a shock and dramatic interruption to their plans, and an abrupt rearrangement of their lives.

When Gabriel announced the divine nature of her conception and delivery to Mary, her response was simply graceful.  

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Lk. 1:38).

What a woman!

Mary’s faith and surrender are exemplary and an excellent lesson for us at Christmas.

We do not own our lives. We belong to our Sovereign God, and all our plans rise and fall before Him. As Solomon says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Prov. 19:21).

I often wonder, do I truly believe this truth? Have I opened my life to God, stepping into my plans and allowing Him to change them as He sees fit? Haven’t I often resisted the idea? When was the last time God disrupted my carefully laid plans, and how did I respond? Did I yield to His calling as Mary did, or did I hold tight to my own desires?

The result of Mary and Joseph’s obedience is the peace and goodwill the angels announced to us at the Savior’s birth (Luke 2:14). How about you? Can you surrender everything about your life in obedience to the Savior whose birth you celebrate on Christmas?  

Pray with Me

Father, I believe you are Sovereign, and that You are the Lord of my life. You may interrupt my life and plans every time, yet I resist and push you away when you call. Help me, Lord Holy Spirit, to obey your call and yield my plans to you for your sovereign purpose in Jesus’ name, amen.  

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