Wednesday, December 21

MARY JOURNEYS EVEN FURTHER

Luke 1:46-56

I am what they call a young adult—a recent college graduate making small steps into the real world, learning responsibilities like bills and money management, with an old car that can’t seem to make it a couple months without needing repairs. Some may think my life is complete freedom, without a mortgage or family responsibilities or major debt. But I don’t see it that way, because it is not going the way I dreamed it would. I want to see that this time of my life is part of the fulfillment of God’s plan for my life and for others around me. Mary truly recognized that her life was in fulfillment of God’s plan, not only for her life, but also for the whole world!

What a huge responsibility Mary was given. She had to be humble in her walk with the Lord. She had previously surrendered her life to God, but she had no idea what He wanted from her until He revealed it all through an angel. She was to be the mother of Jesus, who would save the world from sin. She recognized that this was the fulfillment of what God had planned for her life. She entered into a deeper walk with Him, and praised God for completing the work in her. God desires us to enter into a deeper walk with Him. He has so much more to reveal to us, if we will just take that first step towards Him.

It is not up to me to decide how my life will go. Who am I to get upset because something happens that I didn’t count on? Jeremiah 10:23 speaks of this, "Oh Lord I know that way of a man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." But where do we turn? How do we know what to do next in life? All God asks of us is that we trust. Mary’s son, Jesus, paved the way for all of us so that we have someone to look to for direction, as it says in 1 Peter 2:21, "For to this you were called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." There were many situations that Jesus was in that we can apply to our lives, such as being tempted, being scorned and mocked, and losing family and friends. He made it through tough situations by trusting in God His Father. Jesus was a living example of the pure and holy life that we should be living. He had a deep connection with God, and paved the way for all of us to have the same. But there is a sacrifice we must make—to give up our own ideas and dreams, and surrender to the plan God has. We must have faith in God and trust that He is in control and that He knows what He’s doing. When we surrender to God and His plan, He will be our strength. God’s ultimate desire is for all of us to journey further into that deeper relationship with Him.

~ Kimberly Frantz