The Holy Power of “Yes”
Well, friend, I’m mighty glad you wandered up here on this porch today because I’ve been itchin’ to sit for a lil’ spell and git to chewin’ on some good Scripture with somebody who loves a good heart‑to‑heart. Now, if you’ve ever had life surprise you faster than a lil’ ol’ rooster that spotted a sneaky fox slippin’ around outside the hen house, then you understand a little of what Mary faced when the Angel Gabriel showed up to see her. Luke 1:38 gives us her simple, but earth‑shaking reply, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.” Now, that there’s the sound of a heart that plum bows down even before it understands, trusts before it sees, and says “yes” before it knows what the “yes” will cost. And Psalm 143:10 echoes that same spirit. “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” Mary lived that there verse long before it was ever written on a page.
She was just a young woman goin’ right on about her day when Gabriel delivered news big enough to make an ol’ mule sit plum down and git to considerin’ that maybe quittin’ time should be comin’ sooner than later. Yet, she didn’t do no arguin’, negotiatin’, or askin’ for a sign written up in the sky with heavenly fireworks. She simply said, “Yes.” Luke 2:51 tells us she kept all these things in her heart, which means she didn’t just obey God. She plum treasured Him. She held His words real close like a lil’ ol’ squirrel gits to holdin’ a prized acorn, tucked down deep and real safe.
Most of us respond to God more like a startled ol’ turkey gobbler that heard a twig snap. We flap, fuss, and ask fifty questions. Then, we want to be makin’ sure that we clarity things before commitment and comfort before obedience. But Mary teaches us that submission just ain’t about understandin’ everything. It’s plum about trustin’ the One who does understand it all. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. That there’s the posture of a real surrendered life. The essence of sin is arrogance. The essence of salvation is submission. And the essence of discipleship is a real steady, willing, “Yes.”
God’s invitations rarely arrive wrapped in convenience. They come in interruptions, unexpected turns, and holy surprises that feel about as subtle as a lil’ ol’ raccoon comin’ up and tappin’ on your back door. But every “yes” to God opens a door to His purpose. Every “yes” shapes us into people who are given the task of carryin’ His presence into the world.
Father, give me a heart like Mary’s. Teach me to say “yes” even when I don’t see the whole picture. Help me trust Your goodness, treasure Your Word, and welcome Your will with a willing spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, friend, that there’s about enough of our contemplatin’ together on this here porch for one day. As you git to makin’ you way to your pressing jobs at hand, keep your heart as open as a pasture gate on a spring mornin’. Be lettin’ your “yes” to God come a whole lot quicker than a lil’ ol’ cottontail rabbit that done spotted his moma out in the clover. Be lettin’ your trust git to growin’ steadier than an ol’ oak tree that’s done weathered over a hundred years of fierce storms. And be knowin’ down deep in your soul that every surrendered moment becomes a special place where heaven comes a little closer and brushes up against the earth so that the love and glory of the Lord can become more real to you each day.
With joy,
Gwen
