Week 4
Monday
Read: Luke 1:26–38
SOAP: Luke 1:38
So Mary said, “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Devotion:
Mary was a woman who surrendered to God’s will and sacrificed her plans to be obedient to the Lord. Mary was chosen by God to do something no one else on earth had ever or will ever be called to do again. Mary was brave in the face of this life-changing announcement from an angel of the Lord. She was “greatly troubled” and wondered about the meaning of the angel’s greeting. We’re not given other descriptions of Mary’s thoughts or feelings at that moment. Even though she had questions, she was willing to surrender her life to God’s miraculous plan.
Every “yes” we give to one invitation means we say “no” to dozens of other options and opportunities. When Mary said “yes” to God, she said “no” to the simple, straightforward, and culturally typical future she was planning with Joseph. It meant she was saying “no” to a life her community and her family would understand. Mary’s faith allowed her “yes” to come without hesitation, without all the answers, and without knowing what the future would bring.
God is so gracious that He perfectly timed Elizabeth’s unexpected pregnancy to coincide with Mary’s. Elizabeth’s pregnancy was surprising, Mary’s miraculous. Mary had a relative to go to, someone who had also received a specific calling from the Lord. God provided both women with a friend to lean on. While Mary had to surrender her life and future to the Lord, He did not leave her without support and community.
From the very beginning, God declared that community is important. We are not meant to go through life alone. Though their family and neighbors would say that Elizabeth’s pregnancy happened too late and Mary’s happened too early, God purposely planned these incredible events.
Saying “yes” to the unknown is scary. But when, like Mary, we trust and believe that God is for us and with us, we can surrender to His will with confidence, sacrificing our plans with courage. If God has presented a new path for your future, look around for the women who have gone before you. Look for the community, even if it is only one woman, who will walk with you as you say “yes” to God.
