Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.—Luke 1:38

Many times we wonder what the will of God is for our lives. Let me suggest that you simply say, “Lord, I am willing to obey, even though I don’t completely understand what it is that You’re asking me to do.”

That is what Mary did. She didn’t fully understand what the angel Gabriel was telling her, but she obeyed just the same. She took a leap of faith. This is the attitude God looks for in His servants: childlike faith and obedience.

The Bible gives us great direction for knowing God’s will:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1–2)

Notice this passage begins with presenting ourselves to God. It doesn’t say, “Find out first what God’s will is, and then determine if you want to obey it.” Rather, we are to commit ourselves to God. As the J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good.”

First commit yourself to Him. Then you will know the will of God. We should never be afraid to commit an unknown future to a known God. The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart.

Maybe the reason we don’t know God’s will is because we haven’t said, “I accept it, and I will obey it.” Have you said that to God?

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this as.

—Luke 1:29

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she was honestly surprised that God would select someone like her.

Though Mary was a virtuous woman, she was not a sinless woman. Mary was a sinner just like us. Privileged? Yes. Called by God? Yes. Sinful? Again, yes. Later, in what has been called the Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, she said, “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47). Even Mary needed a Savior.

When people are truly godly, they never boast of their devotion. They will not speak of what they have done for God. Rather, they will always speak of what God has done for them. That is why John described himself in his gospel as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John boasted of God’s love for him rather than his love for God.

Had Mary been like many other young women of her time, she would have married a poor man, given birth to numerous children, and wouldn’t have traveled more than a few miles from her home. Then she would have died like thousands of others before her, another person who entered and left the human stage. But God chose her, despite the fact that Mary was a nobody living in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.

Mary was handpicked to fulfill prophecy: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). I seriously doubt that Mary, in her wildest dreams, ever read that verse and thought, That is me. I’m going to be the virgin Isaiah spoke of. I’m going to be the mother of the Messiah.

God can use you where you are.

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.—Luke 1:26

It’s interesting how cities are known for certain things. Rome is known as the Eternal City. Paris is called the City of Lights. New York is the City that Never Sleeps. And Las Vegas has been nicknamed Sin City.

Nazareth, too, could have been called Sin City in the first century. Overrun by Roman soldiers, it was one of those places you went through on the way to another place. Nazareth also was known for its sin. One commentator described it as a hotbed of corruption. This is why, when Nathanael heard that Jesus was from Nazareth, he asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).

Imagine if Jesus were born today. We might expect Him to be born in Jerusalem, or maybe in Rome, London, or Paris. But what if He were born in Las Vegas? The Savior has arrived: Jesus of Las Vegas. That’s what it would have been like to use the term Jesus of Nazareth.

In that wicked city, however, lived a young woman of royal blood. Living in an impure world, Mary was pure. She showed it is possible to live a holy life in an unholy place. We often blame our wicked culture for the way we are, but the fact is that it’s our job as followers of Jesus to permeate and affect our culture.

Here’s a question to ask yourself: Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer is affected by its surroundings. Depending on the temperature, it goes up or down. In contrast, a thermostat affects its surroundings. Unlike the thermometer, it controls the environment around it.

Do you merely react to what is happening around you, or do you have some kind of impact on it? Are you changing the culture, or is the culture changing you?

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!—Psalm 107:21

How like us to forget to give thanks. We are so quick to come to God in times of need. We pray, “Lord, get me out of this” or “Lord intervene” or “Lord, provide for me.” We call on the Lord and then when He answers, we don’t offer up a word of thanks.

Worse yet is when we chalk it up to dumb luck. It reminds me of the guy who was on the roof of a three-story house, nailing down a loose shingle. Suddenly he lost his footing and began to slide. Knowing he was about to fall to his death, he cried out to God, praying, “Help me! Save me! God, don’t let me die! God, do something! Save me!”

Then, as he was nearing the edge of the roof, his belt loop suddenly caught on a nail, which stopped him. This allowed him to grab hold and then climb back up again. Reaching safety, he called out, “It’s okay, God! I got caught on a nail!”

That is how we are sometimes. We say, “Oh, Lord, provide for me. I have this financial need. Lord, You’ve got to come through for me.”

Then the next day, a rebate check for the exact amount arrives in the mail. “It’s okay, Lord,” we say. “The rebate check showed up.”

Do we ever stop and think, however, that God has provided that for us?

Are you giving God the glory for what He has done? We are so quick to ask for His help. But let’s remember to give Him the praise when He comes through. We should be as definite in returning thanks as we are in requesting help. Far too often we call on God in times of crisis, but we don’t follow through with our thanks.

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.—Psalm 30:4

It seems as though merchants today don’t really know what to do with this holiday called Thanksgiving. When it comes to other observances, like Halloween, they make a lot of money from their marketing efforts. And of course, Christmas is a financial windfall. But Thanksgiving? Well, they sell more turkeys than they usually do. But they don’t really know what to do with this holiday, which is spiritual in its origins.

In 1863, President Lincoln designated November 26 as a day of national Thanksgiving. We celebrated it annually on that day until 1942, when President Franklin Roosevelt designated Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November.

And just so we aren’t fuzzy about which God we should give thanks to, this is what the pilgrims wrote in the Mayflower Compact, in 1620:

We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia. . . .

They were not just coming to our fair shores to simply bring European civilization; they were coming to bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s very easy during our feasting to forget about the One whom we are celebrating.

The primary reason we are put on this earth is to glorify God and to give Him thanks. Yet praise and worship are a sacrifice sometimes. The Bible doesn’t say, however, to give thanks to the Lord because we feel good. Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” (1 Chronicles 16:34). He is worthy of our praise.

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” —Psalm 136:1

Thanksgiving is now here, and from this point on, we will eat, drink, and breathe Christmas. I don’t mean that we will be reflecting on the Christ’s birth, but we will be experiencing that commercial extravaganza, Christmas!

Commercial culture has pretty much hijacked every holiday. Christmas, instead of being about the birth of Jesus, is instead about Santa, Frosty, presents, and shopping till you drop. Easter, instead of being about the resurrection of Jesus, is about bunnies, eggs, and Spring Break.

But the one holiday that’s remained fairly untouched is Thanksgiving, although it’s quickly being encroached upon by “Black Friday.”

Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, a retail research consultant, has said, “Retailers have basically ruined every holiday. They have commercialized every single holiday by creating a good reason to promote something and drive traffic.”

But we as Christians should not lose the focus of Thanksgiving. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens” to be celebrated each year.

Giving thanks is something we are commanded to do again and again as Christians. For us, every day should be Thanksgiving (minus the turkey, etc.)! The Bible reminds us to “give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, and His mercies endure forever” (Psalm 136:1).

Now, if God ceases to be good, I suppose you can cease to give thanks. But since that will never happen, Scripture is commanding me to give thanks always.

So, have a blessed Thanksgiving!

P.S. – Don’t forget to set your scales back 10 pounds.

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”—Ecclesiastes 12:1

I made a commitment to Christ when I was 17 years old. By that time I felt as though I had already lived a very long life because of my mother’s alcoholism and multiple divorces, as well as my own experimentation with drugs and drinking. I was ready for a radical change.

As a result, I gave up quite a few things and pretty much dumped all of my so-called friends. I didn’t want to be in that environment anymore. I needed a new start in life. I committed myself to studying the Bible, being a part of the church, and growing spiritually. Did I give up a few so-called fun times? Yes. But I have had so much more fun as a follower of Jesus. I don’t regret any of those things I gave up.

Every now and then, I will run into an old friend from high school. What is really sad is when someone still thinks they are in high school when they are 60, and they can’t let it go. They’re still living that life (or at least trying to live that life). Some of them are on their second, third, or even fourth marriages. Or maybe their substance abuse has taken a toll on them. I look at them and think, Why did you live that way?

Solomon, at the end of Ecclesiastes, came to a clear conclusion. Among other things, he deeply regretted wasting his youth and didn’t want others to make the same mistake. He wrote, “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, ‘Life is not pleasant anymore’ ” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Youth is such an important time. It’s there that you set the course of your life.

The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.—1 Kings 11:2–3

When Solomon dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem, he prayed, “May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors” (1 Kings 8:57-58).

That sounded great. But there was just one problem. Solomon was not doing that himself. Before the temple was built, the people would offer their sacrifices to God on pagan altars. Solomon did this, too, all the while saying that he loved the Lord. Solomon was married to an Egyptian who worshipped false gods, so he worshipped false gods as well.

Did Solomon cause her to worship the true and living God? No. But she persuaded him to worship at pagan altars. That is why the Bible warns us, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

That is what happened to Solomon. One thing led to another, and things went from bad to worse. Solomon started a collection: he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Not only was this wrong morally, but it caused him to turn to other gods these women worshipped.

Maybe as a Christian you are attracted to some of the things the Bible has told you to steer clear of. You are like a moth drawn to the light. Learn the lesson of Solomon, who did it all and reaped the consequences. Don’t go that way.

“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”—1 Kings 3:9

Imagine if God were to come to you today and say, “Ask what you want, and I will give it to you.” That is what happened to Solomon. But because Solomon had his priorities in order, he responded in the right way. He said,

“Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7–9)

Solomon’s answer pleased God, and God gave him what he asked for. You might wonder, Would God ever do that for me? Yes, He would. But let’s not miss the condition. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

If you are walking in close fellowship with God, and His Word is at home in your heart, then you will pray for things that bring God glory. If you are praying for self-indulgent things, then it would be doubtful that you are maintaining a living communion with Him and that His Word is at home in you.

Prayer is aligning ourselves with the will of God.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. —Ecclesiastes 12:13

Before Solomon was anointed king, his father said to him, “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

David was saying, “Son, listen to me. I know a thing or two about life. I’ve made my mistakes, but I also followed the Lord and served Him. You need to serve the Lord with an undivided heart. You can’t live off my faith, son. You need your own faith.”

Initially Solomon followed David’s advice. His heart wasn’t divided at first. But then he started opening himself up to things that he had no business being a part of. Things went from bad to worse. He went on a little research project to see what was out there. Solomon did everything and tried everything. In the end, here was his conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

The word for fear that Solomon used also could be translated “reverence,” “respect,” or “awe.” God is the Creator of the universe. He is holy and righteous. To fear Him means to have reverence for Him. It’s a healthy respect. Solomon was saying, “Have reverence for God. Keep His commandments.”

God’s commandments are like guardrails on the road of life, which keep us from getting ourselves into trouble. When Solomon said, “This is man’s all,” he was saying, “This is what will make a whole man.” If you want to be a whole man or a whole woman, then you need to fear God.

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”—Psalm 100:4

I really like Thanksgiving, because there is not a lot of pressure to go out and buy things. You have to get food, of course. But apart from that, Thanksgiving is not about shopping. It is more about getting together with family and friends and doing what most people love to do, which is eat.

We can enjoy the food. We can enjoy our family. We can enjoy our fellowship. But the real purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. It is a day to focus on giving thanks.

Of course, that is sometimes easier said than done. It is easy when things are going reasonably well, the bills are paid, we have a roof over our head and our health is good. But when times are hard, we don’t want to give thanks at all. But here is what the Bible says: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1 NIV).

Notice this verse does not say to give thanks to the Lord when you feel good. Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”

Someone might say, “Well, what if my heart is not in it? Should I still give thanks?” Yes, you should. Many times when we offer our worship to God, it is just that: a sacrifice. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

The Bible not only commands us to give thanks regardless of circumstances, but it also tells us to verbally give thanks to God. It would be like a husband never telling his wife that he loves her. She needs to hear it from him. And of course, a husband needs to hear “I love you” from his wife, too.

God knows all things. He knows whether we love him. However, He still asks for us to give Him verbal praise. Far too often, we fail to give God what is due him. As Psalm 29:2 reminds us, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.”

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.—Ecclesiastes 1:14

After his futile search for the meaning of life, Solomon concluded, ” ‘Vanity of vanities,’ . . . ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’ What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2–3).

The word vanity Solomon used didn’t mean the same thing it means to us today. When we think of vanity, we think of people who’ve never met a mirror they didn’t like. But the vanity Solomon spoke of could just as easily be translated “emptiness,” “futility,” “meaningless,” or “nothingness.” Solomon was saying, “There is nothing on this earth that will satisfy us completely: no thing, no pleasure, or no relationship.”

It’s not unlike riding a stationary bike. You see on the little video screen that you’re going uphill, so it gets a little more difficult to pedal. Then you go downhill, and it becomes a little easier. But the reality is that you haven’t moved an inch. You’ve spun your wheels without going anywhere. That is the idea Solomon was conveying. He was describing a life without God.

Have you ever wondered why the super rich or super famous often have substance abuse issues or other problems? I think it’s because they get to do what others only dream of. They accomplish a certain thing, and then they move on to the next thing. They experience another success, and then they move on to something else. They can’t keep that high they were on, so they turn to the next thing.

You might say that Solomon tried it all, and he realized that it all was meaningless. He was saying, “I’m a seasoned pro. I know what I’m talking about here. If you take God out of the picture, your life will be empty, meaningless, and futile.”

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.—1 Corinthians 4:5

We may be able to evaluate what people do, but we cannot evaluate the motive of why they do it. Only God can.

Some believers give up certain pleasures and activities because they don’t want their spiritual lives dulled. Someone might look at them and say, “What a waste! They missed out big time!”

Or, when someone with a promising career ahead decides instead to go to a developing nation as a missionary, someone might say, “What a waste!”

Still others will decide to simply live for themselves and do whatever they want to do with their lives. And then God will say, “What a waste!”

Let’s not be so quick to judge another person’s heart. We can’t see his or her heart. Rather, let’s judge our own hearts and why we do things. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

I think that one day, the people who took the time for God’s Word, for worship, and for serving the Lord will be glad they did. And I also think the people who didn’t take time for those things will realize how much they wasted their lives.

It has been said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do.”

We can’t change the past. But we can decide what we are going to do in the present and how we are going to live in the future.

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn.—Proverbs 12:2

When Mary poured a flask of costly, fragrant oil on Jesus, not everyone appreciated her sacrifice and generosity. Matthew tells us, “But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor’ ” (26:8–9).

In a way, you can almost see their beef. The perfume was worth about $35,000. We may think, Is that good stewardship? Was that really a good idea? But John’s Gospel gives us a significant detail that provides us with important insight into who led this little revolt:

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. (John 12:4–6)

Judas was in charge of the money. His motive was not a concern for the poor; it was a concern for money leaving his pocket. Ironically, the name Judas means “the son of waste.” (What kind of name is that to give to a child?) Here was a man whose name meant “the son of waste” accusing Mary of waste.

This is typical of hypercritical people. I have found that those who are so quick to find fault with others, often challenging their motives, usually are guilty of something far worse. They project their sins on the people they accuse, when, in reality, they are the ones with the problem.

I have also found that these people tend to do very little, and those who complain the least typically are the ones who do the most.