EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
3/8/2026 07:53 PM
My
Worship Time Focus:
PT-2
“Mary’s Submission”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
1:38
Message of the verse: “And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave
of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Now this evening I will pick up where I left off from
this morning’s SD, and I begin with a quotation from John MacArthur’s
commentary along with verses from the book of Jeremiah.
“Later, God once again used Jeremiah
to confront His rebellious people over this issue. Defiantly, they replied,
“16 "As for the word that you have spoken to
us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. 17 But we will do everything that we have vowed,
make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as
we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of
Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and
prospered, and saw no disaster. 18 But
since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink
offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword
and by famine." 19 And the women
said, "When we made offerings to the queen of heaven and poured out drink
offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ approval that we made cakes for
her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?’” (Jer. 44:16-19
ESV)
“In
response, the prophet solemnly warned them of God’s impending judgment:
“24 Jeremiah said to all the people and all the
women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of
Egypt. 25 Thus says the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have
fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely perform our vows that we
have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink
offerings to her.’ Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! 26 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you
of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name,
says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of
Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord GOD lives.’ 27 Behold, I am watching over them for disaster
and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be
consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28 And those who escape the sword shall return
from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant
of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will
stand, mine or theirs.”
MacArthur goes on with these important words “To
worship Mary as if she were the queen of heaven is to mix paganism with
biblical truth and to blaspheme the true King of heaven. To proclaim that Mary is co-redemptrix and
mediatrix of saving grace, only compounds its false, syncretistic view of her.
“Mary’s dramatic encounter with the
angel Gabriel ended with this short, simple postscript: And the angel
departed from her. His mission
accomplished, Gabriel returned to the presence of God. The God-man was going to be born; the only
begotten Son of God, Jesus, who would save His people from their sins, the
divine Redeemer, the holy offspring, the divine King who will reign over a
kingdom that will last forever.
“This account demonstrates that God’s
promises will be fulfilled, as they were in Mary’s life. It also reveals that the sovereign God
accomplishes His purposes through His willing and obedient slaves, as He did
through Mary. Without regard for the
implications and potential risks, Mary faithfully rested in the sovereign
purpose of her Savior and God. That is
her true magnificence.
“God is still doing His work today,
if not through visible miracles, then spiritually through His people who trust
Him (Isa. 26:3; cf. Prov. 29:25), obey His Word (Ps. 119:17, 67, 101; Matt.
7:24; Luke 11:28; James 1:25), and humbly submit as obedient slaves to His will
(Josh. 24:24; Ps. 119:35; Eccles. 12:13; Phil. 2:12-13).”
(Isa. 26:3; cf. Prov. 29:25)
“3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
“25 ¶ The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever
trusts in the LORD is safe.”
(Ps. 119:17, 67, 101; Matt. 7:24; Luke
11:28; James 1:25)
“17 ¶ Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may
live and keep your word.”
“67 Before
I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”
“101 ¶ I hold back my feet from every evil way, in
order to keep your word.”
“24 "Everyone then who hears these words of
mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
“28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who
hear the word of God and keep it!’”
“25 But the one who looks into the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who
acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
(Josh. 24:24; Ps. 119:35; Eccles.
12:13; Phil. 2:12-13)
“24 And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD
our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.’”
“35 ¶ Lead me in the path of your commandments, for
I delight in it.”
“13 ¶ The end of the matter; all has been heard.
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
“12 ¶ Therefore, my beloved, as you have always
obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will
and to work for his good pleasure.”
3/8/2026
8:23 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment