Being Prepared (Part III)

I shared in the last two devotionals about Jesus’ parable in regards to the wise and foolish virgins. There was another virgin whose obedience changed the history of mankind! Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a wise virgin who heard the voice of God and was prepared to respond!

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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. 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. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

The call of God to Mary came in an unexpected form! She didn’t know that someday an angelic visitation would change her life, but Mary was ready! She had a tender heart towards God, and she called herself, “the Lord’s servant.” She must have had an intimate and loving faith towards her God. Therefore, the Lord chose her and favored her because He knew He could trust her.

The call of God upon Mary wasn’t going to be easy. To be an unmarried pregnant woman could have meant shame, gossip, and disdain by her community. She didn’t even know how Joseph would respond to this call. However, she did not concern herself with all those worries.

Mary’s commitment to the Lord was greater than any fear of man that she was faced with. Those fears were not going to hold her back from doing the will of God. She did not ask the angel if the Lord could wait until Joseph marries her, so that her pregnancy could be acceptable to people. She just declared, “May your word to be fulfilled.”

Mary did not have all the hang ups of a carnal man. Most of us would worry about other’s approval of us and would not want to do anything that could lead people to think less of us. Mary, on the other hand, just said yes to God and allowed God to back her up and protect her. She was pure from selfish motives or ambitions. This wasn’t her idea; it was God’s plan. Her faith was in the Lord, and God was surely faithful to her and provided for her all the way. This wise virgin was ready, and she had plenty of oil for her lamp to provide her illumination in the midst of difficult and uncertain times. 

Has the Lord been asking you to do something that man’s opinion is holding you back? First, please ensure that it is the Lord calling you. Then take a step of faith by simply saying “yes” to Him.