The Divine "YES"

 

Psalms 40:1-7

I waited patiently for the lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair,  out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground  and steadied me as I walked along.  He has given me a new song to sing,  a hymn of praise to our God. 

Many will see what he has done and be amazed. 

They will put their trust in the lord.

Oh, the joys of those who trust the lord,   who have no confidence in the proud  or in those who worship idols.

O  lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.  Your plans for us are too numerous to list.  You have no equal. 

If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,  I would never come to the end of them.

You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. 

    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.

Then I said, “Look, I have come.  As is written about me in the Scriptures:

I take joy in doing your will, my God,  for your instructions are written on my heart.”

Luke 1:38

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

John 7:16-18

So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.

Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.

Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Divine “Yes”

In Luke 1:38, we find Mary at a terrifying and glorious crossroads. After the angel Gabriel explains the impossible—that she will bear the Son of God—she doesn't respond with a list of conditions. She says,

"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

The Greek word used for “servant” or “handmaid” is doulē. This isn’t just a helper; it describes someone whose will is entirely yielded to the will of their master. Mary wasn’t simply agreeing to a task; she was offering her entire identity.

Do you remember the uncertainty of being 15? Not quite an adult, but no longer a child. What a beautiful spirit Mary had to accept that an angel not only appeared to her, but told her how she would be used by God. If you have never been visited by an angel or had a face-to-face experience with our God, do you think you would be as calm and willing as Mary?

I feel very blessed, as I have met with Jesus Himself once when I was just 9, and another time as an adult when my car was filled with the voice of God. Both are experiences that I treasure. Both times I felt not just the pure love of God, but I felt worthy of God’s love. Even when the world tried to beat me down, these experiences still remind me how much God loves me.

Yes, His Son died on a cross for each and every person who will believe—but Christ also held a child broken by fear and reassured her that she would be okay. Can you imagine sitting in the lap of Christ, surrounded by noise and violence, yet all you feel is love and safety?

That is something you never forget.

Both experiences have given me a sense of urgency in helping others see the love that God has for them. So I write in hopes that I reach a few. I do stand in for our pastor when required, but like Moses, speaking is not as free-flowing as writing. I am working on that, as I desire to help others see what God can and wants to do for them.

The Price of the “Yes”

We often forget that our surrender is set against the backdrop of a great debt. Romans 6:23 reminds us that “the wages of sin is death.” The Greek word opsonion (wages) refers to the rations or pay a soldier earns. Left to ourselves, we earn separation from God.

But the second half of that verse offers the charisma—the “free gift” of eternal life.

Mary’s “Yes” allowed that Gift to enter the world. And every time we say “Yes” to God, we allow His life to move through us into the lives of others. (I think of Pastor Joyce and Pastor Victor, they said Yes to God when he sent them here 12 years ago, we are very sad that God has chosen to send them to another place, but we trust that God knows that they helped us improve our walk with God and God knows we can welcome new Pastors and work with them as our beloved Pastors move to a new community in need of their faith to help guide them to be as strong as we are in God!

The Posture of Waiting

How do we reach that level of surrender? Psalm 40:1–7 gives us the blueprint. David writes, “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The Hebrew word for wait here is qavah, which means to “bind together” or “twist like a rope.” It is not passive waiting; it is active, expectant trust.

God lifts us out of the “mud and mire,” steadies our feet, and gives us a new song. And our natural response becomes what we see in Psalm 40:7:

"Here I am, I have come."

This echoes Mary’s response. It is the shift from doing things for God to allowing God to do things through us.

The Source of the “Yes”

Finally, Jesus clarifies the heart of surrender in John 7:16–18. He explains that His teaching isn’t His own, but comes from the One who sent Him. He wasn’t seeking His own doxa (glory), but the glory of the Father.

When we say “Yes” to God, we are not just trying to be “good people.” We are aligning ourselves with the Truth that Jesus lived out perfectly—that true authority, purpose, and peace come from being sent, not from being the sender.

Our simple surrender 

An older woman once stood at the edge of a path she did not understand. She could not see where it led—only that it would change everything. Our home was lost to fire. Now we had to move 4 hours from our children.

 Fear whispered, “What if you fail?” But faith quietly answered, “What if God is already there?”

So she took one step. Then another.

She did not have the whole plan. She only had her “Yes.”

And that was enough.

We arrived here and felt at home. God was already here preparing our way! Amen!

Is there a “Yes” you are holding back from God because you are worried about the “how”?

Remember Mary’s doulē—she didn’t need to understand the mechanics; she only needed to trust the Master.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your patience with us as we learn to trust You more deeply. Thank You for the example of Mary, who said “Yes” even when she did not understand. Help us to surrender our will to Yours, not out of fear, but out of love and trust.

Lord, remind us that You are already in the unknown places we fear. Strengthen our hearts to wait on You, to be bound to You, and to move when You call. Let our lives reflect Your glory, not our own.

Give us courage to say “Yes” today—whatever that may look like—and trust that You will carry us through.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN

BOBBA

Love, Penny 💛