top of page
Search

The Holy Spirit visits Mary (11-12-21)

Writer's picture: David BentDavid Bent

Bible Reading: Luke 1:32-38

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.


A Reflection:

We thought before about Mary being highly favoured, not because of who she was or what she did, but because God chose to pour out his favour, his grace, upon her. The grace came from God, not from Mary. Never-the-less I think all Christians would agree that Mary is special.


I think Mary is special, not because she was somehow more perfect than other women, but because she said ‘Yes’ to God. She risked her reputation, her marriage, her future and ultimately her life, in order to do what God asked of her. And what God asked of her was both mind-boggling and scary. God took an enormous risk with Mary and Mary took an enormous risk with God.


When Mary was told of God’s plan she asked the angel ‘How can this be?’ to which the angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you.’ Not only did God look with grace upon Mary, but he would also empower her to do what he was asking of her.


Mary’s reply was to say, ‘I am the Lord’s servant’. Mary was special because she agreed to serve. Jesus himself came to serve and would later go on to say, ‘Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.’

In his creation plan, God has a purpose for your life, a purpose which only you can fulfil, a purpose that will involve serving, a purpose for which he will provide the means and the power to fulfil, a purpose to which he asks you to say ‘Yes’.

God’s plans for your life may well take you out of your comfort zone, but probably not as far out as he took Mary! You are not called to be a Mary, or a Joseph, nor anyone else other than the person that you are. You are simply called to be who you are, to know God’s grace and favour, to say ’Yes’ to the things that God asks of you and to let him achieve all that he wants through the power and presence of his Holy Spirit within you.


Will you take a risk with God? Will you say ‘Yes’ to his plans for your life?

Pray:

Lord, give me the courage and the faith to say ‘Yes’ to you, and to trust in your Holy Spirit to equip and empower me to fulfil your purposes.

Amen


Here I am, wholly available.

7 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

©2020 by Walgrave Benefice. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page