Pray First

Read Luke 1:26-38

Wedding vows go something like this: Will you John, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward? Will you promise to love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health forsaking all others as long as you both shall live? I will. And the same for Jane: I will. And the two love birds are pronounced husband and wife. 

Mary and Joseph had every intention of honoring that same commitment to each other. They were looking forward to the glorious day when the rabbi would utter similar words for them to commit to; to say I do, or I will.  But things didn’t go as smoothly as planned for these two. Let’s take a look. 

“Mother, here’s the money I collected in the market for the bread we baked this morning. Everyone loves your recipe and it sells quickly.”

“Oh, thank you, Mary.” She paused for a moment. “It was only a short time ago that you were running and playing in the field with your friends and now look at you. You’re turning into such a fine young woman. Joseph will be a lucky man to marry you next year.”

“I’m lucky too, Mom. Joseph is such a good man.” She inhaled deeply and exhaled. “I’m definitely blessed that he and father have agreed upon our engagement. But Mother, it all gets a little overwhelming at times. Do you mind if I go across the field and sit under the shade of the big olive tree again this afternoon? I would like to spend a little quiet time with Yahweh. I always feel so much better after my prayer time.”

As Mary sat quietly in deep thought and prayer, in her favorite quiet time corner of the earth, an almost ethereal man mysteriously appeared right in front of her. 

The angel said to Mary, “Greetings, O favored one! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28 ESV). Mary was confused about what this greeting could possibly mean. 

Seeing her anxiety, the angel spoke gently to her. “Mary, don’t be afraid. Dear girl, you’re about to become pregnant and give birth to a precious baby boy. You and Joseph will name him Jesus. He will be the Son of God and rule forever over Israel from the throne of David.”

Mary’s mind swirled. “How could this even be possible since I have never been intimate with a man?”

The angel explained, “The Holy Spirit and the power of God will come upon you. This baby will be called the Son of God.” 

What a moment in time! I can’t even fathom all the thoughts that were racing through young Mary’s mind. What will Joseph think? My parents will disown me. I could be stoned to death for appearing to be unfaithful to my fiancé. While these fears must have raced through Mary’s mind, this was not where her heart and soul settled. 

Mary was close to the Most High. She knew God. She knew that God had a plan for her and now she knew what that plan would be. She understood her commission. In spite of the difficulties she would face, she submitted, “I am the Lord’s servant … may it happen to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 BSB). 

How much faith it would take to submit to such a calling! Mary, like all Jewish girls, knew the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the lineage of King David and that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). She was from the family line of David. She was a virgin. She had been chosen by the Lord God Almighty. And she would embrace her calling and be honored to be used by God. 

When Joseph found out about Mary’s pregnancy, he was distraught. He knew that he had the legal right to bring Mary before the entire town and have her stoned for her unfaithfulness to him. But he was a kind, gentle, and righteous man, so he decided that he would divorce her quietly instead. 

He lay in bed that night wrestling with his thoughts, his shock over what Mary had seemingly done. How his heart ached as his certain future crumbled and as he thought of how his love, his Mary, had cheated him. As he drifted into sleep, an angel came to him in his dreams. The angel said to Joseph, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She’s done nothing wrong. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Joseph awoke that morning in awe of the dream. He knew what God had called him to do. He immediately took Mary as his wife but was not intimate with her until after the birth of the holy child.

These two received a life-altering calling from God. What the future held was uncertain but would certainly be uncommon. After the shock and awe of this new direction for their lives, they submitted to this calling God had given them. They knew He would see them through whatever lay ahead because they knew and trusted their God.

What would lay ahead? Did they know? Did they know that the Son of God was God in flesh? Did they know that when they kissed their baby boy on the cheek, they kissed the face of God? Did they know their baby boy would heal the lame, raise Lazarus from the dead, give sight to a blind man? Did they know he would suffer ridicule and persecution from the church leaders? Did they know their baby boy would save us from our sins? That he would suffer death on a cross in place of what we deserved? 

Even though they weren’t certain about their future or the details of Jesus’s future, they must have thought about how their lives would soon be very different and likely more difficult than their peers. And yet they believed and trusted their God, that He would guide their steps and make them able for what lay ahead. They may have been shocked initially by the enormity and supernatural nature of the calling, but because of their relationships with God, they were in awe that he would use them, a lowly peasant couple, to bring into the world the promised Messiah, the Saviour.  

We aren’t all called by God in the same way, and certainly not in the same way Mary and Joseph were chosen to parent the Son of God. But God does have a plan, a calling for each of us. Mary and Joseph were able to step into obedience to God’s plan for them because they knew God. They had spent time in prayer and learning the scriptures. They knew His ways and they knew His promises. 

We, too, can know God like Mary and Joseph did. Spend time with Him, talking, listening, and reading the Bible. Choose a quiet spot for that daily time, much like the shade of the olive tree Mary may have chosen. As we do this each day, we begin to hear and recognize his voice, not audibly, but quietly in the depths of our being. 

What has God said to you lately in your quiet moments with Him? Have you been listening? We often get so wrapped up in praying for our desires that we forget to take time to listen. We can be sure that His plan includes receiving Christ as our Savior, worshiping him, spending time with other believers, and telling people about Him. But is there a more specific thing God wants you to do? Has the initial thought of this call left you a bit shocked? Are you in enough awe of Him to say, “I will”? We can trust him, like Mary and Joseph, to be with us and to make us able to do whatever He has given us to do. 

Sit quietly with him. Listen for a still small voice in your soul. Maybe He’s saying “You are highly favored. I have good plans for you.” Oh, you won’t be called to bear the Son of God and watch him carry his cross to die for the sins of the world. But what will you be willing to say when you do hear him calling you? Will you, will I be willing to say “Yes, Lord; may it happen to me according to your word”? 

 

Worship Song: Mary Did You Know? By Pentatonix

Find Tracy on Facebook at Tracy Fields Todd, Writer, and on Instagram at @tracyftodd.