Mary, the mother of Jesus, is an absolutely incredible portrait of trust and obedience. It was awesome to dig down deep into her character and life over December and January as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. Mary DECIDED to obey God when she willingly accepted the role as Mom to Jesus, despite having to deal with the stigma of being an unwed mother, and all the trials that would go along with his life. And yes, it was a conscious decision she made, but we know that she must have lived a godly lifestyle - what a witness at such a young age! - because she was highly favored by God. WOW. So it was natural inclination to obey.
That's a powerful example to me. I need to be cultivating a life of obedience. What does that mean? Daily prayer and meditation and studying of the Word. And daily DECISIONS to obey - not speaking a bad word about someone at work, not worrying over something silly, offering encouragement to a friend when it's inconvenient for me.
And right along with Mary's obedience, was her steadfast TRUST in GOd. Even when the decision to obey comes naturally, a lot of trust is needed on top of that. I am certain Mary must have experienced fear and doubt when Jesus was turned on by his own people and sent to the Cross. But she trusted that when God told her he was the Messiah, that he was true to that.
I know the promises of God's Word, I just need to trust more! Ultimately, I know that nothing can every separate me from his love, and that he is directing my paths. Perhaps I should memorize the words of that great hymn, Trust and Obey, there is no other way and sing it to the Lord when those daily trials arise!