“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said”. What a fantastic response from such a young woman. Mary didn’t hesitate to say “Yes, Lord”. I am sure she didn’t have it all worked out in her head but what she and Abraham, the father of the faith, have in common is that they believed God without knowing details.
There are two attributes required to be the Lord’s servant that we can glean from Mary, willingness and faith.
In I Chronicles 28:9 David is saying to Solomon to acknowledge God, serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind. This word, willing, means to be acquiescent, to incline, or to volunteer. Acquiescent means to agree by not objecting, to yield and submit. How many times do you hear children arguing with their parents instead of being willing to do what has been asked? How may times have I not been willing? David asks in Psalm 5 that the Lord would grant him a willing spirit to sustain him.
Abraham like Mary was told to leave his country, his people and his father’s household and go to a land that the Lord would show him. And so Abram left. He was willing to go, willing to respond to the voice of God. Abram also had …
In the same way Mary believed what the angel said. Mary was not just willing but responded in faith, believing that if God said it, then He can and will do it. You can be willing but you must have faith to believe that God can do all things.
Faith is a key ingredient in being the Lord’s servant. Faith is the currency of heaven! Without it Hebrews 11 says it is impossible to please Him! With faith you can conquer kingdoms, administer justice and gain what is promised!
Mary believed the promise brought to her by Gabriel. But, she was also willing to submit to whatever that would look like in her life. In being the Lord’s servant she became the woman to give birth to the Son of God. From that point on all generations have called her blessed!
