January 17, 2021
Luke 1:38 (ESV)
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
CONSIDER THIS
Mary had just received the worst best news of her life. God had highly favored her with a premarital pregnancy, which would be conceived by the Holy Spirit. In other words, she would give birth to the Son of God and no one would believe it. And she responded with what will be our First Word—Last Word for the day:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
A person who says this in the face of difficult news is a consecrated person. In a way, Mary bore the cross before the cross bore her. This is the nature of the consecrated life.
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
It is the precursor to the prayer her Son, Jesus, would later pray: “Abba, Father, . . . everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36).
They are the ultimate words of trusting obedience; words you don’t say in considered response to a request because they were written on your heart long before the request came.
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Because we trust God, we have already decided to trust his Word . . . all of it . . . no matter what . . . come what may. It is not an obedient response. It is a preemptive promise. I commend it to you for full-court engagement. It is an everyday Word. Read it aloud. Ruminate over it. Rememberize it. Research it. Rehearse it. Verse it back and forth with others. Make up a tune and sing it. This is a word that will lead our lives.
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
First Word. Last Word. God’s Word.
THE PRAYER
Abba Father, behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word. I pray in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
THE QUESTION
How might this prayer find its way into the depths of your heart, mind, soul, and strength?
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com
One Response
Why do we wage war through the night, when the battle belongs to the Lord.
Why do we put on the armor of God and get ready to fight, when the battle belongs to the Lord
When pain assails and dread set in, we struggle to say this battle belong to the Lord.
We wrestle, we trust, we do all that we know to do and say this battle belongs to the Lord.
Yes, this battle belongs to the Lord, so I surrender all according to your will, your love, and your perfect plan for my life, I surrender all.