Living in the "In-Between"Sample

Most days of our life are average. We wake up, go through our normal routines, have a bit of fun, and do some responsible tasks. But every once in a while there’s a day where something really amazing or important happens, and sometimes those days change the course of our lives.

Can you recall a day or even a moment that changed everything for you? The Bible tells a story about a teenage girl whose day changed everything for her (Luke 1:26-38). Mary was a young Jewish girl, engaged to be married, and her heart’s desire was to honor God. God sees her and sends an angel to reveal his plan to Mary and invite her into his big story!

Imagine the shock and surprise Mary felt. No wonder she had questions and was trying to understand what was happening. God was telling her that the promises he made to her ancestors would be fulfilled through her. Talk about a life-changing day!

Take a moment and notice her response to the angel. It’s been said that “Our response is our responsibility.” Mary’s response to the Word of God was surrender and trust. Her faith was in God, and she simply chose to believe him and become part of God’s story.

A few days later she visited her cousin (Luke 1:39-56), and she voiced her response to God with a song of joyful praise that we can still read today. Her faith was in God’s Word to her, and just like the Psalms her nation had been singing for generations, Mary’s heart creatively responded with singing to the Lord.

What’s your response to God’s Word? Do you know what it says to you? Like Mary, the better you know God’s big story and his love for you, the more you’ll know God’s voice, and your response will become joyful praise!

Consider: Mary was ready to accept God’s Word to her and accept his invitation to join the story immediately. How does Mary’s response challenge you to change yours?

Reflect: We learned about the SOAP method of Bible study earlier in our journey together. There is another method called PRAISE – which stands for Paragraph, Rewrite, Apportion, Insights, and Express. Watch this video that explains how to apply this Bible Study method. Then choose a paragraph from today’s reading, grab your notebook and get ready to PRAISE!