Cornerstone Devotional | Spring 2021

Unafraid: Trusting the Lord

By Lauren Burnette

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’

And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ 

And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.”

--Luke 1:30-38 (Read Luke 1)

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Recently, I decided to read both the Gospels of Luke and John, focusing on the foundational teachings of Jesus and the Good News that they offer us today. When I started reading the first chapter of Luke, I was blown away by what God was already teaching me, and I was specifically amazed by Mary’s acceptance of Gabriel’s message from God.

It was crazy to me that Mary did not hesitate to trust God’s plan for her. The angel told her she would mother the Son of God, yet she was young, unwed and a virgin. A pregnancy would change everything; this pregnancy could hurt the view others had of her and her relationship (and upcoming marriage) with Joseph.

However, despite all of these potential negative consequences, Mary automatically proclaimed herself a servant of the Lord.

She acknowledged God’s sovereignty and goodness in her situation. This level of trust that she had in God and in His plan for her was deeper—is deeper—than any we are able to have in other people. And when I read this passage, God put a desire in my heart for a trust that deep. 

The season of life I am in right now has not been easy. The medical school application process has been draining, emotionally taxing, and at times, has left me feeling completely helpless. Medical school admissions committees are currently making decisions about my future. Decisions that I have no control over will determine where I spend the next four years and whether I will have to find a new church and a new community. I am terrified and have been struggling to trust God, to remember that he knows what’s best for me, even if what’s best is not at all what I want.

It is by reading this passage in Luke that I am once again reminded that God is a part of those decisions, and God has a beautiful purpose for me regardless of the outcome. I am trying my best, yet still often failing, to follow Mary’s example: to fully trust God in all of His decisions for my life and to truly submit my life to being a servant of the Lord.

God continues to grow my trust in Him and remind me that I am able--and that He is calling me--to give Him control.

Today, I encourage you to meditate on Mary’s courage and her steadfast trust in God. In what areas of your life do you need to fully submit yourself to God and trust Him more? How can Mary’s submission to and trust in God be a model for you in your own life?

—Lauren Burnette serves on Cornerstone Leadership as member of Discipleship Team.