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Simple Belief and Obedience
Andrea Lende • June 5, 2021
Luke 1:38
Simple Belief and Obedience
You can listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Simple-Belief-and-Obedience-e127j6f
Luke 1:38
“Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.”
The simplicity and power of belief and obedience is inside of this passage.
The angel Gabriel spent some time with Mary telling her all that was going to happen.
This had to be an amazingly frightful experience.
It’s not every day we get an angel visitation telling us something of the supernatural.
Much less to be told you are the mother of the Son of God.
I can imagine her mind whirling at the news.
Mine would have been.
Of course, her first question was how.
How can this come to pass?
But the next questions weren’t written about.
At least not the questions I would have had.
Like, why did God choose me?
Could this really be the appointed time when the Christ is to be born?
This exact moment in time had been hoped for for thousands of years.
Is it really now?
Is God really going to use me?
Isn’t there another who could take my place?
Such an awesome, yet huge responsibility!
How could I raise the King of Kings, the Messiah, the Christ?
Will He know more than I?
Am I good enough or equipped enough?
All these things and more would have been reeling around in my mind.
But Mary simply said, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said.”
She was simply willing.
Simply obedient.
In just a few short words, Mary spoke volumes.
When the Lord has need of us, her words should ring in our ears, “let it be done to me according to what you have said.”
For I find myself getting in the way of myself and God’s plan.
I make excuses.
I question everything.
Instead of simply receiving the Word from God and being obedient.
How much time could we all save if we responded as Mary did?
My guess would be years.
Today I choose to simply believe and be simply obedient to the Lord.
May you find you are able to believe and be obedient to the Lord which ultimately expedites moving forward in God’s plan for your life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that simple obedience furthers Your grand plan. Thank You for showing me I need to be obedient to You in all things. And thank You for showing me that being obedient starts with belief. If I believe what You speak to my heart and do not question Your grand plan for me, I can move more quickly into obedience. And this furthers Your plan and gives You more glory. Increase my faith and belief in Your plan for my life, and then help me to be obedient to all that You ask me to do. Keep me seeking You and Your guidance as I take a step forward. Equip me as I have need. Strengthen me in all ways to do as You ask. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM and My plan for you is good. I will help you walk into the belief and obedience you need to walk it out.
Response: Strengthen me in every way to do as You ask, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.