Why me, Lord? Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Why me, Lord?--------------------------------------- Date: 12/23/2000 Keywords: "honest" "humble" "obedient" "virgin" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Luke 1:26-38* 26. Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, 27. to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29. But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. 30. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32. "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33. and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end." 34. And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35. And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. 36. "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37. "For nothing will be impossible with God." 38. And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Questions 1. How would you respond to an angel who greeted you as "favored one"?   2. What characteristics do we see in Mary that might result in her being favored by God?   3. How could you cultivate such character in yourself?   Practical help God needed a special vessel to carry and birth His only son. Mary exhibited the qualities He was looking for: Virgin. She had had no sexual relations. Luke, a doctor, was very clear and explicit on this point. We can assume this means more than that she had avoided sexual intercourse. She exhibited a purity of heart that held fast to the idea that her sexuality was reserved for her husband, and reserved for the appropriate time after her marriage to Joseph. Humble. Upon hearing the greeting of the angel, she didn't just say, "Gee, thanks," but she was "troubled." She couldn't understand how she should be so honored in the sight of God Almighty. She didn't wear her purity proudly, but simply accepted that God's plan for her was right. Honest. She wasn't afraid to ask the questions burning in her heart. "How can this be?" She didn't pretend to have it all together, but clearly spoke her confusion. Obedient. When the message was finished, she accepted it. She understood the plan, and said, "OK, I'll do what is asked of me." Reminds us of an old Beatles song, doesn't it — Let It Be? We could take some cues from Mary's character in dealing with porn. You can adopt the mindset of a virgin, who is devoted to purity of heart. You can drop pride for humility, knowing that your own strength is insufficient. You can honestly ask for help and seek for answers. And, you can be obedient to the calling God has for you. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."