Handmaiden of the Lord

“Behold I am the handmaiden of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

Today most Christians around the world celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord as we commemorate the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. Gabriel informs her that she has found favor with God and she will bear a son. He gives her a series of clues about this baby: He shall be named Jesus, He will be great, He will be called Son of the Most High, God will give Him the throne of David his father, He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. Whew! That’s a whole lot to swallow! Especially for a young Jewish girl who was hardly out of her teens. 

Mary knew exactly what the angel was talking about because she grew up pondering God’s word. She was to be the sign God would give, the virgin with child that the prophet Isaiah foretold to King Ahaz (Isaiah 8:10). Jesus was to be the the star that rose from Jacob spoken of in Numbers 24:17. Her Son Jesus was the descendant of King David prophesied in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The coming Messiah was spoken about throughout the Hebrew Bible and the Jews, Mary included, longed for His coming. 

When she voiced her assent, “May it be done to me according to your word,” the Holy Spirit came upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. It was not until nine months later that the Word became flesh and dwelt among men. 

Sometimes we expect God to answer our prayers right away. We get impatient and sometimes think He is not listening. We are too influenced by the fast pace of this world. God has His own timing. We should train ourselves to have an obedient, waiting, and patient spirit like Mary. “Let it be done unto me according to Your Word.” Then we will see how sweet is the fruit of our prayer.