Obedience can be frightening.
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Wait a minute Lord! You want me to do what? And you think that would be a blessing for me to do that!
Those are normal reactions that any of us could have when we find ourselves being sent down a path that the Lord has chosen for us. Sometimes the road that the Lord sends you down is a scary place, it is a narrow road that isn't free of potholes and it doesn't seem like a safe place to be.
Just as the prophet predicted (Isaiah 7:14) our Savior was to be born of a virgin and now the Lords plan has been revealed to the virgin that it was going to happen to. She had to be concerned about her welfare and her safety in a culture that could have killed her for adultery, she must have wondered if her parents would throw her out of the house, and what would her fiance think about her situation.
| Hebrews 13:6 So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" |
When the road that I am called to travel seems scary and unsafe, I need to remember that the Lord has called me down this road and he will protect me and he will bless my efforts to be faithful to the calling that he has asked me to pursue.
Lord, give me the faith and trust to follow you wherever you lead me to go and to do what You ask of me.
