Mary’s Heart

Hearing the song Mary Did You Know? always moves me to tears. Each time I try to imagine the emotions that swirled in Mary’s heart when the angel Gabriel presented the life-altering news that she would give life to the Son of God.

Have you ever wondered how Mary had the courage to respond to such a shocking message? She didn’t whisper a soft yes. She boldly declared, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me, according to your word.”  

The reasons why young Mary accepted her mission so willingly is beautifully described by Debby Thompson, who writes under the banner of Living With Eternal Intentionality®. With Debby’s permission, I’m sharing this excerpt from her December blog, “Mary Said Yes.” You may read the rest of her story here.

Mary said Yes to God—to His will, to His plan, to His call on her life. Her destiny was contained in her response, and I am astounded each time I read it (Luke 1:38)! How was this humanly possible for one so young, so innocent?

A closer look sheds lights on her faith-filled choice.

Mary said yes to God because she knew the Word of God.

Because she knew the Word of God, she knew the Person of God. 

And

Because she knew the Person of God, she was prepared to say yes to the opportunity of God.

Her song (Luke 1:46-55) is saturated with Old Testament teaching where she exclaims the character of God, the faithfulness of God, the power of God, even the priorities of God. The significance of her response is steeped in the significance of Scripture. And here the connective gem emerges:

Knowing her God and knowing His Word laid the foundation for Mary to say yes to God with pure, simple faith.

The God that Mary knew invited her into His plan, and Mary said yes. She chose to believe (Luke 1: 45). She chose to obey.

Friends, in this divine season let us look for ways to deepen our love for God and our knowledge of His Word. Then, like Mary, we will be able to say yes to whatever invitation God presents to us in the coming year.