Mary, an unwed mother, may have questioned the assignment to carry the Savior of the world at first, but she quickly accepted what the Lord had written for the days of her life before even one of those days came to be (Psalm 139:16).
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word… Luke 1:38(a) KJV
Her words, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord” revealed the secret to not only her faith, but her acceptance of this cup, this lot in life she was being given. The one who held her heart was her God, and for this reason she knew she could trust Him. If you didn’t read part i, you can find it here.
The word handmaid originates from the greek word for bondservant (or bondslave). If you don’t follow Hidden In My Heart, I wrote how bondservant is more than a mere word to me; it must be a daily choosing to accept the position of servanthood to a Master who has purchased my freedom. You can read bondservant here.
The greek word for handmaid is: doule. It is the feminine word for doulos which means bondservant. Doule simply means means a a female slave, bondmaid or handmaid.
I love that this is Mary’s response, and find it the desire of my heart to be quick to respond in this way too. In full acceptance of the journey ahead, unaware of the many details surrounding her changing life, her mind had already been made up. She would remain a servant, a handmaid of the Lord her God, trusting him and His word, no matter what happened. If I may put her words into my own:
“Yes, Lord. I am your bondservant, your handmaid. I have chosen to serve you because of the grace you have poured out to me by taking my place on the cross. May it be to me, according to Your word, and Your will for me, no matter what happens. I surrender my own will. I believe. I trust You. I trust Your word. Please give me an increased measure of faith when I don’t understand, that it may be said of me, ‘blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ Help me to better know your word that I may cling to what you have said in these uncertain days in which we live. Amen.”
