I AM WILLING

 

March 19, 2025

 

This Week’s Theme Verse

Mark 8:34-35

“Whoever wants to be my disciple 

must deny themselves and 

take up their cross and follow me.”

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Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Have you ever faced a moment where it seemed that at the call of God everything in your life was about to change? Such experiences can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time, especially when it feels like God is asking for more than you think you can give.


I know our Bible reading today seems out of season. This is Lent not Advent! Yet I believe Mary's story speaks to us in any season and holds a revelation that we need to be reminded of today.

When the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, she was given a choice: trust God with her life or let fear hold her back. Her response, “I am the Lord’s servant,” shows incredible faith and confidence in God. 

Of course, saying “yes” to God didn’t mean an easy road for Mary, however, Mary's surrender to God's way had an amazing outcome. Mary's "yes" to God meant being part of something bigger than she could ever have imagined. Here is what I have been learning, perhaps you have too, that following Jesus often requires of you and me the same kind of faith and trust and courage we see in Mary, even when to do so, to say our "yes" to God, feels overwhelming.

What is one area of your life where God might be asking you to trust Him more? 

Take a moment to say in your prayers today, “God, I am willing, to say yes, Lord, Yes, to your will and your way" and then ask God to give you the boldness and the courage through the Holy Spirit, to take the next step on the journey. I wonder what amazing outcomes await us!