Mother’s Day is coming up this month, so who is better to look at as a mother who lived by faith than one of the most famous mothers of all time? Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a great example of living by faith. Why? According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Mary did both.
Mary was sure of what she hoped for. As a Jew, she was waiting for the one promised to come and save her people: the Messiah. The Messiah had been promised centuries before, but still hadn’t come. People found it hard to keep believing after such a long time. But Mary believed. When God told her she was going to give birth to the Savior, her hope of seeing the Messiah came true.
Not only was Mary sure of what she hoped for, but she was certain of what she did not see. For centuries, the people heard God’s voice (Exodus 3), saw Him part waters (Exodus 14 and Joshua 3), and watched fire come down from heaven (1 Kings 18). They saw armies flee before the Lord (Judges 4), be routed by a smaller army (Judges 7), or by no army at all (2 Chronicles 32). They watched the sun stand still (Joshua 10) and move backwards (Isaiah 38). Angels appeared to many people while prophets prayed and did miracles (2 Kings 4-6).
Then nothing happened. There were no prophets, no miracles, no signs or wonders for over 400 years. It was as if God had just vanished; as if He wasn’t there. For centuries, the people waited. Many gave up on God. Not Mary. She was certain He was still there.
Though it was probably hard for Mary to be sure the Messiah would come and certain that God was still there, she did it. She held on to God’s promises and believed the truth. In every way she lived by faith. This month, commit to being like Mary. Live by faith. Hold on to God’s promises even when it seems like He isn’t there.
By Rachel R.
