“Prepared” Children (2)
Girls, this one is for you! Yes, the Bible is mainly about boys and men, but it has a lot to say to girls as well. Do you want to grow up to be a godly lady? Now is the time to start! Let’s look at two outstanding girls in the Bible.
In 2 Kings chapter 5 we are given the story of Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army. Sometime before this a young girl lived in Israel and knew of the prophet Elisha and the wonderful miracles God had done through him to help others. One day, the Syrian army raided the girl’s city and took her back to their country as a slave. Though we don’t know the girl’s name, we can only imagine how frightened she must have been and how bitter she could have felt toward those who had ripped her from her home. Somehow the girl ended up serving Naaman’s wife. When sadness filled their home, the girl heard that Naaman had the dreaded disease of leprosy. Instead of being glad that evil had come to the ones who enslaved her, she shared her knowledge of Elisha’s power with her mistress. I think she was rejoicing with the others when Naaman returned, completely healed, don’t you? Do you think her kindness was rewarded with freedom to return home?
In the New Testament is the story of a young Jewish girl who was serving her parents and anticipating her soon marriage to a godly man. Like most other girls of that time, Mary planned to be a housewife and mother some day. But she had prepared her life in case God has something for her out of the ordinary. We know that she memorized Scripture, kept herself pure, and was submissive to authority like her parents. One day the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that God had chosen her to be the human mother of His Son, Jesus. This was shocking news! Yet her response was, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) She was saying, ‘Lord, I am your servant. Do whatever you want with me.’ She probably didn’t know at the time that this honor would bring more pain than fame to her during her lifetime. But it didn’t matter. Whatever God wanted was fine. She had planned on an ordinary life but had prepared herself for an extraordinary life, and that is what God gave her.
What do you think God will do in and through your life if you totally dedicate yourself to Him as His handmaid? First Corinthians 2:9 (quoting Isaiah 64:4) says you can’t even imagine!