Victoria Kyles (8th Grade)
Mary. The mother of the One who saved the world. We all at least know that about her. We know she was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. Some of us even know she was (probably) 12, 13, or 14 years old when this amazing birth took place! That’s about all we know regarding Mary, right? I’ve obviously decided to focus on Mary for this devotional, so let’s get started! The “original” devotion’s scripture is Luke 1:30-33 but I decided to focus on verse 38.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
So, Mary’s pretty cool. I mean, she received a vision from God saying that she was to be the Messiah’s mother! That’s amazing! Something we forget (or like me, didn’t know) is that she was taking a huge step of faith when she said yes to God’s plan (verse 38). The religious leaders would look down on Mary and her family because she wasn’t married yet…but pregnant! To make matters worse, she didn’t get pregnant with Joseph, even if it was before marriage! This is all to say that Mary said yes to more than just delivering an awesome baby, she was putting her whole family and her self in danger of the leader’s punishment that could result in death!
Three things that I think you should remember from this devotion:
1. You can be used for God when you’re young! I know everybody tells us this, but this is a very good example from the Bible to back that up. (Remember Mary was most likely 12-14 years old when she gave birth to Jesus!)
2. Nothing is impossible with God! Verse 37 says “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
3. Say yes to God! That’s all we have to do! No matter if you’re in 7th grade and just started youth, or if you’re a senior and about to go into the college department, or somewhere in between, God has a purpose for each and every one of us! So say yes!