“He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!” Luke 1:54-55 (GNT)
God keeps his promises. He’s good, and he’s faithful. If he makes you a promise, you can count on it.
That’s what Mary sang about in Luke 1: “He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!” (Luke 1:54-55 GNT).
Two thousand years before Mary, Abraham lived. And God made a promise to Abraham. He promised that he would bless Abraham’s family by sending the Savior through his family line.
Mary knew the promise God had made to Abraham—and he knew God was keeping that promise through the baby she was going to have.
You see, Mary’s story began thousands of years before she even was born. There was the promise God made to Abraham. And there was a prophecy in Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 KJV).
God planned Mary’s destiny before the world began. She accepted that destiny, and God kept his promise. He sent his Son, Jesus, to be born, to live, to die on the cross for our sins, and to be resurrected.
God has a destiny planned for you too. Before he even formed the earth, he had you in mind and planned out each day of your life. Now, you have the choice of whether or not to accept what he has planned for you.
Are you ready to accept God’s destiny for your life? If so, I invite you to pray this short prayer of surrender:
Father, today I surrender humbly to your plan for my life. I realize that you made me for your purpose. No one cares about my life more than you do, and following your plan is the key to blessing. So I humble myself before you, knowing that you honor humility. Thank you for keeping your promises. Today I make a faith commitment to you. While I don’t understand all that’s going to be involved in it, I’m saying yes to you and to your destiny for my life. Help me to follow your plan from this day forward. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God made a promise to Abraham—but it was two thousand years before that promise was fulfilled in Jesus. Does that timeline encourage you or discourage you about how God might be working in your life?
How have you seen God show mercy to you and your family?
Did you pray the prayer of surrender in today’s devotional? If so, be sure to revisit it in the next few days to remind yourself of the commitment you’ve made. If not, consider what’s keeping your from making that commitment.
