May I be like Mary

Psalm 37:5. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

Listen to that relationship again- COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD, AND TRUST IN HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHINE LIKE THE DAWN!

Have you ever been outside at dawn? I love it! I like to get up early and walk in the morning. There is nothing more beautiful and magnificent than God’s sunrise. The sky starts out dark and begins to fill with a pink glow, and as the sun makes it’s way over the horizon, the light is brilliant with hues of red, orange, and yellow. The dawn is breathtaking. When YOU are committed to God, YOUR righteousness (from Jesus Christ) is breathtaking- it shines like the dawn. And your cause shines like the noonday sun. We all know how bright the noonday sun is. We bring out our sunglasses to shade our eyes from the brilliance.

Mary, mother of Jesus is a woman whose righteousness shines like the dawn and her cause like the noon sun. Dee Brestin says, “Mary, the mother of Jesus, was honored above all women.”

Mary was completely obedient, totally surrendering to God. She surrendered her will and her life for the Will of the Father. She offered herself to God.

Can you imagine?

Here she was a humble, young woman, not a queen or a person of power, but a simple young girl chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus! She was a virgin, not yet even married to Joseph when God asked her to surrender herself to His will. She loved the Lord and doesn’t hesitate to be his servant! You can tell she had been already walking with the Lord and that she had a loving relationship with him.

Listen to how Gabriel, the angel, greets her, “Greetings, favored woman.” Then the angel says, “God has decided to bless you. You will become pregnant and have a son and he will be called Jesus, the Son of God!”

Does Mary even hesitate in her response?

Does she argue with God, complain or start worrying?

Does she say, “What will Joseph think? Our lives will be ruined.”

Does she say, “Joseph won’t believe me or stand by me. What will my family say? My neighbors?”

Remember, she and Joseph are not married yet. God is telling Mary that HE will be the father of her baby, not Joseph. She is going to have to explain to Joseph that she is with child. Remember, she is a virgin. Obviously, she may have feared his reaction. She may have wondered how she would explain her pregnancy.

How does Mary react, what does she say? Does she start listing all of these very valid excuses of why she can not be obedient to God to the angel?

In Luke 1:38, Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.”

Wow! What a statement of faith! She doesn’t even hesitate in her obedience. Even though Mary knows she could be shamed by her family and her community, her reaction is immediate. She could be stoned to death.

Luci Shaw says, “she staked shame against the will of God.”

Mary was passionately obedient, completely abandoned to God and His will and purpose for her. She says, “I am willing to accept WHATEVER God wants. May everything you have said come true!”

Can I say the same? When God asks me to take a risk in my life, do I answer so faithfully, so completely committed to His will? When His will is not popular with today’s culture, and I could risk my standing in society- my standing with your co-workers, my group of friends, with the other carpool moms- am I so willing to be the Lord’s servant? Are you willing to stake shame against the will of God?

Mary travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth right after the angel’s visit. Is she running awa? Is she starting to regret her decision? Is she second -guessing God? Is she starting to worry about what is going to happen to her?

No.

Mary sings, “Oh how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my
Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation
after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One is holy and
He has done great things for me.”

And do generations call Mary blessed? Oh, yes! Did God make her righteousness shine like the dawn? Oh, yes! And will the same be true for you, if you commit your way to the Lord? Oh, yes!

But, how do you do this? How do you commit your way to the Lord and His will for you exactly? How do you even figure out WHAT God’s will is for your life? What is God’s will?

Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 12 29-31. “The most important command is this- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Then, love your neighbor as yourself.”

When you love God more than yourself, more than your desires and ambitions, you are following this command! When you put others’ needs before your own, you are being obedient to God’s will. When you choose God, when you become passionate for the Lord, when you commit yourself to Him, He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your cause like the noonday sun.



Father God, all praise and honor and glory to You! You are such an amazing God. We love You and trust You. Lord, help us flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." Help us, God to commit our ways to You. Help us to live our lives for You. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Please, God help us to have a completely obedient heart as Mary did. Help us to say without hesitation, “I am the Lord’s servant and I am willing to accept whatever He wants. Help us God to be a light shining in the darkness for You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Reposted from December 15, 2008