“Behold the maidservant of the Lord!
Let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38 NKJV
We cannot figure God out. If we had all our questions answered, we could trust in ourselves, but God would not be glorified. Therefore, circumstances often make us feel perplexed, like they did for an old man and a young woman in Luke 1.
Both Zacharias and Mary were bewildered by the sudden appearance of an angel. Gabriel told them not to be afraid. When he said they would each have a son, they asked, “How can this be?” Zacharias asked how God could do this—he wanted proof—while Mary questioned how God would do it. There’s a big difference between questioning God and asking God questions.
Zacharias said in essence, “Why is this happening to me? I don’t know what You’re doing, and I’m not sure You know either!” (see Luke 1:18). Mary’s response was: “Why is this happening to me? As a virgin, how can I possibly do what You say?”(see Luke 1:34). The next time you are bewildered, will you be a Zacharias or a Mary?
God accomplishes His plan, sometimes through great expense and suffering of His servants. But when we accept His yoke and learn from Him, He promises that we can rest in Him, making our burdens easy and light (see Matthew 11:29–30). When we are troubled or afraid, let’s choose Mary’s response: “I am Your willing maidservant. Do whatever You say.”
Lord and Master I am Your humble and willing servant. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2017 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Marcia Hornok.