December 5, 2025
Luke 1:26–38 tells of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, announcing that she will bear the Son of God. Though young and afraid, Mary responds with faith: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” This moment defines Advent faith—trusting that God’s promises hold even when they defy explanation. “Let it be with me” isn’t passive acceptance; it’s active surrender. It’s saying yes to God’s call even when you don’t yet see how He will make it possible.
Devotional:
We often picture Mary as calm and serene, but imagine the moment from her perspective. She’s a young woman in an ordinary town, preparing for an ordinary life, when suddenly an angel appears and tells her she’ll bear the Son of God. The world tilts. Everything she thought she knew about her future is upended. And yet, her answer is simple and astonishing: “Let it be with me according to your word.”
Those seven words echo through the ages as the sound of holy courage. Mary doesn’t pretend to understand everything. She doesn’t have all the answers. But she believes in the One who does. Her faith isn’t built on clarity—it’s built on trust. Advent faith often looks like that. It’s not having the roadmap, but saying yes anyway.
Mary’s story reminds us that God’s promises don’t always arrive wrapped in comfort. Sometimes they disrupt us. They stretch our understanding and call us to step into something we can’t control. Yet in that surrender, something divine begins to grow. Mary’s “yes” made room for Christ to take flesh in her life—and in a spiritual sense, so can ours.
Each time we say yes to forgiveness, to generosity, to compassion, we make room for Christ to live through us. Advent isn’t just about waiting for Jesus to come again; it’s about welcoming Him now, into the messy and ordinary places of our lives. When we open ourselves to His will, the impossible becomes possible.
Maybe God is asking something of you right now that feels too big or too uncertain. Maybe you’re being called to forgive someone, take a risk, or follow a new direction. The story of Mary reminds you that your “yes” doesn’t depend on your strength—it rests on God’s faithfulness.
Faith doesn’t erase fear, but it gives fear somewhere to bow. Like Mary, you can trust that what the Holy Spirit conceives in you will grow in God’s time and bear fruit for His glory. Say yes. The world still needs Christ to be born through people who believe.
Action:
Pray Mary’s words—“Let it be with me according to your word”—and ask God to show you one place where He’s inviting your yes today.
Prayer:
Holy God, help me trust Your promises even when I don’t see the whole picture. Give me Mary’s courage to say yes to Your call. Let my life be a dwelling place for Your Spirit and a reflection of Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought for the Day:
Faith begins where certainty ends—when we dare to say yes to God’s promise.
Cheryl is on vacation so no sermon this week. This week, our hearts turn toward that first flicker of Advent hope. These devotionals invite us to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and remember that God still breaks into ordinary days with quiet mercy. The world may rush around us, but Advent asks us to look for the small signs of God’s nearness, the gentle ways He prepares our hearts before we ever notice. Each day this week points us back to the promise that Christ comes not only once in Bethlehem, but again and again into lives that feel worn, waiting, or ready for renewal. My prayer is that these readings draw you close to the One who comes with light in His hands and love that won’t let go.
