By Wayne Clapp

One of the evidences of Living in God's Power is how one responds to the Word of God with heartfelt, freewill, believing obedience. The essence of this believing obedience is expressed succinctly in Psalms 40:8, which says, "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." Delight in doing God's will is the bedrock of our obedience. There is no allegiance, no loyalty, no fidelity we put above our devotion to God. We want to please Him above all; therefore we hide God's Word within our heart (Psalms 119:11). God is never seen as an interruption or intrusion into the life of one who is Living in God's Power. The pleasure of His company is desired and sought after, and His will is acknowledged by delightful, believing obedience from the heart.

We can see this delightful obedience in the record of Mary and her response to Gabriel. Mary was simply going about her day when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and delivered a message that had been anticipated by God's believing people since God first spoke of the promised seed in Genesis 3:15.

Luke 1:31:
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

In Luke 1:28-37, Gabriel addressed her three times: greeting her, promising the birth of the Messiah, and guaranteeing that God was able to bring His Word to pass.

Luke 1:37:
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

A better translation of this verse is "For with God not anything spoken [rhêma] shall be void of power." Of course, this can be applied to all of God's Word, but it was used specifically in this context to assure Mary that nothing Gabriel had spoken to her was impossible. God backed up every syllable of the message and was able to bring every word to pass.

Upon receiving this assurance, Mary's response in Luke 1:38 was: "... be it unto me according to thy word [rhêma]." This is the same Greek word used in verse 37 referring to the declaration spoken by the angel. Mary wanted what the angel said to come to pass. The Greek texts put this in an infrequent optative mood, which expresses desire. It was as if Mary was saying, "Oh yes, I really desire that it happens just like you said it would." She wanted to see God's Word and will come to pass. After the angel departed from her, Mary arose and went with haste to see her cousin Elisabeth. Gabriel had told Mary that Elisabeth had also conceived a son. Mary wanted to see how God's Word had come to pass for her beloved cousin who was called barren. What a wonderful blessing it must have been for Mary to see Elisabeth with child and to hear the encouraging, uplifting words her cousin spoke to her, knowing Elisabeth had no previous knowledge of her pregnancy.

Luke 1:44 and 45:
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

This emphatic declaration by Elisabeth corroborated all that Gabriel had told Mary previously. It assured her that she had obediently believed and that there would be a performance of those things which were told her. Mary had delighted in and done God's will.

Similarly, in Luke 2, the shepherds were going about their business, abiding in the field and keeping watch over their flock by night, when the angel of the Lord stood by them and exclaimed good tidings of great joy: "For unto you is born this day.., a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). They would find him in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. The shepherds, delighting to do God's will, immediately acted on the angel's declaration.

Luke 2:15-18:
...Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing [rhêma, referring to the specific words spoken by the angel] which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying [rhêma, again referring to the declaration of the angel] which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

The shepherds responded with believing action and had the privilege to see, firsthand, the words spoken by the angel come to pass. Out of all the people in Judah, the Lord sent his angel to these humble, receptive shepherds because He knew they would believe and obey. They also spoke the declaration of the angel everywhere they went. They left their sheep in the field and went about their Father's business as the angel had instructed them. Their swift action of believing obedience allowed them to find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. Their response to share the good tidings of great joy with everyone they encountered was their acknowledgment of God's gracious favor upon their lives. They delighted to do God's will, also.

Mary's response to the shepherds' enthusiastic declaration was to keep "all these things [rhêma, again referring to the particular words spoken by the angel which the shepherds made known everywhere], and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19). What Mary kept and hid in her heart was the Word. Earlier it had been the words of Elisabeth that had ministered and meant so much to her. Now it was the shepherds' declaration (made known to them by the angels) that Mary rested upon. These were all words from God that she kept like a treasure and hid in her heart.

Mary's example and the shepherds' example show that they never viewed God as an intrusion or interruption into their lives or neatly scheduled plans. Their delight was to do God's will. This was evident because they reverenced God's Word and responded with believing obedience. What a legacy God's Word sets before us. We, like these humble servants, can desire and seek after the pleasure of His company. We can delight to do God's will.