READY:
“But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.” -Luke 2:19
SET:
Has the coach ever trusted you with a position you felt unqualified for, one you knew that was way bigger than yourself? Mary, the mother of Jesus, was given great responsibility in being the mother of the Messiah. This position on God’s team was HUGE. Could you imagine the weight that came with such a calling? She would be the mother of the baby who would grow to become the Savior of the Universe in the flesh.
In all of Mary’s recorded interactions with the Word of God over her life and regarding her role in Jesus’ life, she never fretted or overreacted. She calmly received the information and sat quietly with it as she comprehended what was in front of her. This was an abiding habit of hers; every quiet acceptance was evidence of her quiet heart before the Lord.
Isaiah 30:15 speaks of strength lying in quiet confidence; not many people would describe strength in that way, but God did. Quiet confidence, not a loud boasting. Mary displayed this so beautifully. An athlete that can receive instruction and internally process it under pressure is an asset to the team. An athlete like this doesn’t just happen naturally. It is a choice made by him or her to create an abiding habit of self-control and self-discipline both physically and mentally.
Mary accepted all that God had for her, whether it was comfortable or not. Think of the context of this verse. Mary had been told by the angel that she would be the mother of the Son of God. She believed, knowing that others would ridicule her. And they did. Neighbors will always talk. People will always have an opinion. Mary was walking faithfully on the path God had for her life and the staring and gossiping was probably unending for her. And while, I am sure it was quite difficult to birth Christ in a stable, but at least there was peace there. Luke 2:19 comes after she births Jesus and the shepherds come to give Him glory. Mary has no control over the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, what the neighbors have to say or who comes to visit, and yet she quietly submits and trusts God. She takes it in and seeks to understand it in the quiet place of her heart.
There is an invitation for you to do the same: to trust God with the hard and let Him work within your soul.
Go:
What do you need to quietly accept today?
Will you trust God with it like Mary did?
WORKOUT:
OVERTIME:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you for Mary’s life and how she modeled quiet trust and obedience to you. She showed us how to bear impossible weight by quietly trusting in You. I am grateful for her example, and I pray that You will help me to grow in my relationship with You so I can trust You like that. I know that comes from abiding, not striving. I love You, Lord and I am thankful for your presence in my life. Amen.”