How are you with trust? Is it easy to trust others? Does it take a long time for you to trust someone? Is there anyone in your life you fully trust? You might be quick to say God, but do you really, fully trust God? Could you trust like Mary, as in the mother of God?

Here is what I mean. An angel appeared to Mary and told her she was going to give birth to the Son of God.

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Luke 1:29 NIV.

Mary’s response was simple, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your words be fulfilled.” Theologians agree that this indicates that Mary knew the Hebrew scriptures. She knew prophecy of Isaiah, but now 100’s of years later she is to trust that she’s the one? What astounds me about Mary is that if she knew the prophecy of the birth, she also knew the prophecy of the horrific death her son was to suffer. I would have been begging God to choose someone else or not trust that any of it was true. Not Mary. She ran off to Elizabeth and sings a beautiful Magnificat that says, “My soul glorifies the Lord, for He has done great things for me.” She praises God when I would have been looking for other possible answers.

Mary trusts that Joseph will stay with her when any reasonable man would leave. Mary trusts when they have to flee to give birth. Mary trusts when Herod is killing boy babies. Mary trusts, years later, when Jesus is lost in the temple. Mary trusts as she watches her Son carry a cross with the sins of the world on His shoulders. Do you trust God like Mary?

I have a lot of work to do. I have hard time trusting when the answer isn’t clearly within my reach. Trusting what may be years ahead of me is feels impossible at times. Part of my loving response to God is to trust Him. I have to trust that He knows what is best for me. I have to trust Him with my children which I find harder than trusting Him with myself. I have to trust that His words and promises are true. I have to trust Him when life is hard and messy. Love is…Trust.

Will you join me in praying? Love is trusting God will ____________ (you fill in the blank). Get out some paper and make a list of all of the areas you are committing to trusting God with and for. My list was longer than I expected, but it’s in my journal waiting for me to add in the date God brings it to fruition.

We might not get to see it all come to fruition, but He has it all in His hands. Mary didn’t get to see the centuries of change her son’s life brought to the world. She trusted that His life and death were all in God’s hands. However, I’m trusting that by the end of  2015 I will have seen God move in many areas on list.

Share some of the things on your list and we can encourage each other.