Believing the Promise

How will you respond to the call God has for you? Many of us pray asking the Lord to use us, but are we really ready for what that might look like? Can we say with assurance that we are willing to go forth with whatever He gives to us?

Imagine being engaged to be married. Imagine that you’ve been planning the wedding and inviting all your guests. Imagine that you’ve saved yourself for your husband and cannot wait to consummate this union with him. Imagine that you only have eyes for him and are in great expectation of the life you will have with him; of the kids you will birth and raise with him. Then imagine right before this special day, an angel of the Lord visits you and tells you that there is a slight detour in those plans. You’ll be getting married to your fiancé, but that first child you’ve been imagining giving birth to will not be conceived naturally, but by the Holy Spirit. Imagine what your family will say. Imagine what your wedding guests will say. Imagine what the town will say. “This virgin girl, pregnant? It cannot be! She must have got busy with another man. How trifling!” Imagine what your fiancé will say. Imagine the hurt and betrayal he may feel thinking that you stepped out on him. Imagine the disbelief of everyone involved. And then imagine saying these words: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38, NLT).

Now, this sounds like it could be an episode of any reality tv show! How Sway?! Often times, (and I would say probably more often than not), the Lord’s will doesn’t make any sense to us. But the word tells us that, His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), so it is not always for us to understand. I love a couple of things about this passage. First, Mary acknowledged her identity as the Lord’s servant—not as a fiancé or a woman planning a wedding—simply as the Lord’s servant. For us, this is a good reminder that when the Lord seeks to use us, He’s not asking us to remind Him of our roles in the world. “Oh, but God I’m a wife, I’m a mother, I’m a student, I’m a professional, I’m a [insert here]”. He is most concerned about our identities in Him, and in relation to Him. As servants, and as daughters of the King. Second, Mary said yes to the call. She didn’t say “Lord, thanks for thinking of me, but I’ll pass or you know what Lord, that sounds good, but that’s not what I was planning. You know I’m about to get married right?” She said yes, let it be. For us, we are reminded that when the Lord seeks to use us, He is not blind to where we are in life or what’s going on for us. He is simply looking for who will say yes to the call and be obedient. Third, Mary didn’t tell the angel “okay cool, I’ll do it, but before I agree, can you talk to my fiancé or my family or the town and let them know I wasn’t out here in these streets with another man? Can you defend my honor?” Mary just said yes, trusting that the plan the Lord had for her would be worked out down to the finest details. Mary trusted that she would not have to do anything but obey AND Mary said yes, even without the assurance that she wouldn’t be mocked or shamed or be without a husband.

For us, it causes us to realize that our yes should not be predicated on whether or not the world will understand—even when we have no idea how it will actually play out and affect our relationships, we trust that the Lord’s plan is perfect. Lastly, it shows us obedience is tied to belief in what the Lord is bringing to pass. Mary was able to say yes, not just because she was the Lord’s servant, but because she also believed in the promise that she was going to take part in. She believed in the Savior that she would give birth to and was willing to be obedient to ensure He would come into the world. For us, we must believe that not only is the Lord good, so are His plans. We must believe that what He is calling us to participate in will actually change the world. None of us will ever give birth to another Savior, but we all have the ability to give birth to a promise of God. Will you say yes?