34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
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The previous Abide Devotion made the point that God’s choice of Mary was pure grace. There was nothing especially righteous or holy in her that led the Lord to choose Mary above all other young women. Rather, it seems as though the Lord went out of His way to choose an unlikely mother for the Savior.
But today we look at Mary’s response and we do see what is commendable in her, what is worthy celebrating and emulating: Her embracing of her role as the Lord’s servant.
Mary’s question to the angel regarding how this pregnancy can take place must have been quite different from Zechariah’s skepticism. The angel rebuked Zechariah, a priest who should have known better than to doubt God’s Word, but readily provides an explanation for Mary. We can only surmise that her question arose out of curiosity rather than doubt.
And once Gabriel provided that explanation, Mary responds with a beautiful statement of her acceptance of the role God had chosen for her. Notice that she doesn’t respond with, “Wow, I must be pretty awesome!” or “I’m going to be famous!” But rather she identifies herself as a servant of the Lord who trusts His Word.
Here is where Mary’s example speaks to us. No matter whether the Lord has called us to something as epic as being the mother of the Savior, or to simply live our faith in challenging times, we are to respond similarly, “I am the Lord’s servant.” May the Lord bless our serving today!
Lord, move me by Your Spirit to respond to You as did Mary, trusting in your Word, and embracing my calling as Your servant.
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For previous Abide devotions, go to https://stjohnslutheran.net/category/abide/
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