DONATE Wednesday, December 6, 2023 A Surrendered Heart LISTEN   “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. ” —Philippians 1:6  If you were involved in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, would you be tempted to brag about it a little? Mary easily could have gone to her friends and said, “Hey, have you checked out Isaiah 7:14 lately? You know, the part where it says, ‘The virgin will conceive a child’? Well, you’re looking at her!” Mary, however, didn’t do anything of the kind. She was amazed, even flabbergasted, that God had chosen her to be the one to bear the Messiah. But then she had a question, which was a logical one considering the circumstances: “But how can this happen? I am a virgin” (Luke 1:34 NLT). Now, Mary was not doubting or questioning the angel Gabriel. This had more to do with methodology. And Gabriel answered her because it was a legitimate question. He said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (verse 35 NLT). In the same way, sometimes we look at what God asks of us and wonder how we can possibly accomplish it. We think, “How can I live a godly life in this culture?” Or “How can I, as a single person, be sexually pure and wait for the right person that God will bring to me?” Or “How can I, as a married person, remain faithful to my spouse, honest in my work, and uncompromised in my principles?” The answer that Gabriel gave to Mary applies to us as well: “For with God nothing will be impossible” (verse 37 NKJV). God will complete the work He has begun in our lives. The angel promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary, and the Holy Spirit comes upon us as well. God will give us the power to do what He has called us to do. Although Mary didn’t fully understand, she was obedient to God’s will for her life. In essence she said, “It’s a done deal, Lord.” She didn’t ask for a detailed explanation. She simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (verse 38 nlt). Often we want to know God’s will before we submit to it. But if we want to know God’s will for our lives, we first need to surrender ourselves to Him. As Alan Redpath said, “The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart.” The apostle Paul wrote, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him” (Romans 12:1 NLT). We want to know the perfect will of God. But God is saying, “Submit yourself to Me, and I will tell you. First, give yourself over to Me.” Mary did that. She submitted her will to God. Have you surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ? Share this today:

Heaven's Light Breaking Get My Copy » Prepare your heart to worship the Savior during the Christmas season with Pastor Greg’s new 25-day Advent devotional. Focusing your thoughts on the purpose, promise, and presence of Christ at Christmastime, this insightful devotional can be read individually or as a family. A hardbound copy of Heaven’s Light Breaking will be sent to you in thanks for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. Copyright © 2023 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Harvest Ministries exists with your support to Know God and Make Him Known. If you would like, you can update your preferences. This email may be considered an advertising or promotional email. Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514-4000 Phone: 1-800-821-3300