What does Mary teach us about having faith today, especially when the future is uncertain. 

In short, a lot.

Just imagine her situation. She was a young Jewish woman. She may have been as young as 14, 15 or 16 when she gave birth to Jesus. She would have grown up learning the Scriptures, reciting certain verses, saying daily prayers and going to synagogue. She lived in Nazareth, a backwater town that was barely on the map.

That’s when a messenger from God, Gabriel, appeared to her: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:31-32).

After learning more, she replied with humility, faith and courage: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (verse 38).

When the angel told her this, did she know everything about how her family’s life would be changed? Did she know the extent to which her Son would suffer? Did she know everything about how her own life would be radically altered? 

No. But her job wasn’t to know the answer. It was to know the God who knew the answer—and he would reveal to her what she needed to know when she needed to know it.

True faith is knowing God, not knowing everything. 

We should certainly know some things, especially those things we learn in the Bible about knowing and following Jesus, about growing in holiness, and about the great command and God’s call on our lives. But there are things about our lives and about our own futures which will continue to remain unclear.

But that’s okay. We can’t always know all the answers. But we can know the God who knows the answers. The One we walk with is always wise, loving, true, holy, good, just, merciful, powerful, and sovereign.

So, what does Mary teach us about having faith today, especially when the future is uncertain? 

You don’t have to know everything about the future or have everything figured out to say yes to serving God.

True faith is knowing God, not knowing everything.

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Notes:

–Sermon/Podcast: “Mary’s Yes: What she teaches us about faith when the future is uncertain.” Click here. December 17, 2023.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.