Be it unto me
Today's focusMary is troubled and asks honest questions, then surrenders: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.'
Read
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Reflection
When the angel greeted Mary as "highly favoured," she did not immediately feel a sense of ease. Instead, the passage tells us "she was troubled at his saying." Like many of us when faced with a sudden change or a divine calling, she "cast in her mind" what this message could possibly mean. It is comforting to see that being chosen by God does not mean you will never feel overwhelmed or confused. Even when the angel tells her she will "bring forth a son," Mary responds with an honest, practical question: "How shall this be?"
The angel reassures her that "with God nothing shall be impossible." He points to her cousin Elisabeth as a sign of God's power to do what seems unreachable. Strengthened by this promise, Mary moves from her initial trouble to a place of beautiful surrender. She says, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Today, you may feel troubled by things you do not yet understand. Mary’s example shows you can bring your questions to God and find peace in his word.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
What honest question would you bring to God, and what would it look like to say 'let it be' to him today?
Pray
Lord, like Mary I have questions. Thank you that you welcome them. Give me a heart that says, 'Be it unto me according to your word.'