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At the right time, the time ordained before the foundation of the world, God sent His Son into the world to fulfil His plan. His people had been looking, waiting for thousands of years for God to fulfill His promise to send One who would deliver them from all their enemies. Finally the time had come. And who did God choose to help bring this promised child into the world?
Mary was young, probably a teenager. And Joseph was most likely very young himself, maybe a teenager or maybe in his 20s.
God was doing something wonderful, amazing and exciting on the earth. And He chose two unlikely candidates to help Him in His work.
God placed His Son in a young family. He found a young couple He knew He could trust. He knew they would listen to His voice and obey. Good things happen in families where parents are devoted to God and obey Him.
God asked Mary to believe something humanly impossible and dedicate her life to His plan. This assignment would require her total surrender. Obeying would mean giving up her own plans and desires and submitting to an uncertain future.
Obeying God would also cost her reputation. For her entire life people would point and whisper. She would carry undeserved shame for His glory. And she wasn’t the only one who would bear this burden. Because of her obedience to God her family and Joseph would also have to deal with the ridicule of others. God was asking a lot of Mary. He was asking for everything. And she willingly gave it.
Her reply was simple.
“Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Your word.” Luke 1:38
In Mary’s day a woman couldn’t enter a contract or agreement without the consent of her father or her husband. I think it’s interesting that God didn’t ask Mary’s parents on Mary’s behalf. He asked her directly. And Mary didn’t ask her parents if she could or should obey what God was asking of her. She answered for herself, directly to God.
So must we. We must answer God’s call ourselves. No one can answer for us. And we can’t lay the responsibility of our decision to obey or not obey on anyone else.
Like Mary, God wants us to be a part of the wonderful things He is doing in the world today.
If we are to take our place in His beautiful, amazing, wonderful, exciting plan, we must accept the hard and difficult things that come with it.
If we are to live a faithful life like Mary, we must have quiet times alone with Him without distractions. When we are paying attention to Him, we can hear His calling and receive His assignments.
We too must say yes to what He asks of us, trusting Him even when we don’t understand or know all the details. That’s what it means be faithful in the assignment God has given us.
We must pay the price for bringing Jesus into our own world, making Him known, so others can see Him and believe in Him also.
Many times the price for obeying God’s plan is the surrender of our own plans, our reputation, our will and our heart.
God will not let us down.
May this Holiday Season remind us that the most valuable gift we will ever receive was brought into the world by a teen-age girl who totally surrendered her life to God. May we do the same.
© Audrey McCracken, 2024
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