And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 (NASB)
Mary had been selected to carry the Messiah. But the baby’s father was not her fiancée, Joseph. Mary’s dream of marrying was in jeopardy because who would understand that she was pregnant but hadn’t been with a man. Would Joseph understand or would he think he had been betrayed? When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said, “Do not be afraid,” but how was that possible? Her entire life was in danger based on Jewish law and culture. Instead of planning for the wedding of her dreams, Mary had to pack up and leave before she was stoned to death. And what about her family? Her parents arranged her marriage, but now there wouldn’t be a wedding—well, not the wedding they had in mind.
It was a blessing to be selected to carry the Messiah, but this honor did not come without difficulties and heartache. How could this be from God yet cause so much pain? God’s blessing gave Mary the opportunity to see the His power because if God didn't show His power, Mary would die. Mary knew more than anyone what the cost of this blessing would be: she would be required to give up her will and plans for her life and trust God’s will for her life.
What do you do when life doesn’t work out the way you thought it would? How do you respond to difficult circumstances, especially when the difficulties are not of your own doing? The lyrics of “Jesus Loves Me” to mind, but you secretly think, If Jesus loved me, why would He allow this difficulty in my life”? How do you respond when God interrupts your plans? How did Mary respond? Luke 1:38 tells us Mary responded to the angel with complete surrender: And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”
I wonder if the strange circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus are supposed to remind us not to be discouraged when things don’t turn out like we planned. Mary had no idea an angel of the Lord also appeared to Joseph in a dream and to inform him what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit. Mary didn’t know God was in complete control and was taking care of every detail. But she trusted Him anyway. Oh, to trust God when everything seems hopeless! Wouldn’t it be great to desire God’s glory over ideal circumstances?
God interrupted Mary’s plans for a bigger plan, and we still read about it thousands of years later. Are you willing to trust God even when you aren’t sure how your circumstances may turn out? I don’t ever want to look back and wonder what God would have done if only I had obeyed Him. Do you?
