In a world filled with uncertainty and broken trust, God faced an incredible decision: where to entrust the most valuable treasure ever conceived - not gold or silver, but the gospel itself. This good news that God is doing something new, that creation isn’t finished, and that hope is breaking into our world through divine intervention needed a safe place to grow and flourish.
God’s choice fell on Mary, an ordinary young woman from Nazareth who would become extraordinary through her faithful response. When the angel Gabriel appeared with shocking news that she would bear the Son of the Most High, Mary’s reaction reveals why she was perfectly chosen.
She asked only one practical question about how this could happen, showing no concern for social consequences or personal safety. Her singular focus remained on
understanding and accepting God’s plan. Mary’s response - ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word’ - wasn’t passive resignation but active, courageous faith.
She chose to become what the Greek Orthodox Church calls ‘Theotokos,’ the God bearer, literally carrying God’s treasure into the world. Today, we are all invited to follow Mary’s example as modern treasure keepers. This calling means bringing light into darkness through practical acts of love: encouraging the tired, listening to the unheard, sitting with the lonely, and sharing hope with the spiritually hungry.
Like Mary, we may not understand the full scope of God’s plan, but we can choose to trust, say yes, and become bearers of Christ’s love and presence in our world.
GOD’S TREASURE HUNT
Imagine having the most precious treasure in the universe and needing to find the perfect place to keep it safe. This wasn’t God’s dilemma with gold or jewels, but with something infinitely more valuable - the gospel itself. The good news that hope is breaking into our broken world, that God isn’t finished with creation, and that divine love is actively pursuing us.
God could have chosen palaces, temples, or the homes of the wealthy and powerful. Instead, God searched for a heart that was ready, willing, and faithful. The treasure wasn’t meant for a vault but for a life that would nurture it, protect it, and ultimately share it with the world.
This same God is still searching today. Not for perfect people, but for available people. Not for those who have it all figured out, but for those who are willing to trust. God’s treasure - the gospel, the good news of Jesus - is still looking for safe places to grow and flourish.
The beautiful truth is that God sees potential in the most ordinary places. Just as a seed needs good soil to grow, God’s treasure needs hearts that are open, willing, and ready to say yes to something bigger than themselves.
‘Do
not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 43:5
If God were looking for a place to entrust His treasure today, what qualities do you think He would be searching for in a person’s heart?
“God is searching for some place to leave God’s treasure. And the treasure is not gold, but the gospel. The treasure is not silver, but the good news.”
Lord, help me to see that You are still searching for hearts willing to carry Your treasure. Prepare my heart to be a safe place for Your gospel to grow and flourish. Make me available for Your purposes. Amen.
THE UNLIKELY CHOICE
When God finally chose where to place the most precious treasure in history, the selection was shocking. Not a queen’s palace, not a priest’s temple, not a scholar’s library - but the womb of a young, unmarried woman in a small, insignificant town. Mary of Nazareth was as ordinary as they come, yet God saw something extraordinary in her.
This choice reveals something profound about how God works. God consistently chooses the unlikely, the overlooked, and the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. Throughout scripture, we see this pattern: a shepherd boy defeats a giant, a stuttering man leads a nation out of slavery, fishermen become world-changers.
Luke 1:26-27
‘In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.’
Mary’s ordinariness wasn’t a disqualification - it was exactly what God was looking for. She didn’t need impressive credentials or social status. What she needed was a heart ready to trust, even when she couldn’t understand the full picture.
Today, you might feel too ordinary, too young, too old, or too inexperienced for God to use you significantly. But God’s track record suggests otherwise. The same God who chose Mary is still choosing ordinary people to carry extraordinary purposes. Your background, your limitations, your current circumstances - none of these disqualify you from being chosen by God.
What ‘ordinary’ aspects of your life might God want to use in extraordinary ways for His kingdom?
“Today’s scripture tells us that God leaves God’s treasure in the least likely of all spots, the weakest of all places, the womb of a woman.”
God, thank You that You don’t choose based on worldly qualifications but on willing hearts. Help me to see my ordinariness not as a limitation but as an opportunity for You to work through me. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I confess that fear often paralyzes me. I look at the enormity of needs around me and feel that what I have to offer is too small. Help me to trust that You can use my limited resources for Your unlimited purposes. Give me courage to step out in faith today. Amen.
THE POWER OF ONE QUESTION
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary with news that would change everything, her response was remarkable in its simplicity. She could have asked a hundred questions: ‘What will people think? Will Joseph still marry me? How will my family react? What about my reputation?’ Instead, Mary asked just one question: ‘How can this be?’
This wasn’t doubt - it was practical faith seeking understanding. Mary wasn’t questioning God’s ability or plan; she was simply asking for clarity about the process. Her focus remained entirely on God’s will rather than on potential problems or social consequences.
How different our lives might be if we approached God’s calling with Mary’s singular focus. Too often, we get
paralyzed by all the ‘what ifs’ and potential complications. We worry about what others will think, whether we’re qualified enough, or if the timing is right. Meanwhile, God is waiting for us to ask the one question that matters: ‘How can this be?’ - not as doubt, but as faith ready to understand and obey.
Mary’s example teaches us that faith doesn’t require us to have all the answers before we say yes to God. Sometimes the most faithful response is to ask for understanding while remaining open to God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense from our limited perspective.
Luke 1:34
‘Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”’
When God calls you to something new, do you tend to focus on potential problems or on seeking to understand His will?
“Do you notice? This is the only question she asks. Just this one solitary question. How can this be? It’s amazing to me that she doesn’t ask more questions like will Joseph stick around? Will my parents still love me? Will my friends stand by me?”
Lord, give me Mary’s heart - one that seeks understanding rather than making excuses. Help me to focus on Your will rather than on my fears or the opinions of others. Amen.
HERE AM I -
THE YES THAT CHANGED
Three simple words changed the course of human history: ‘Here am I.’ When Mary spoke these words to the angel, she wasn’t just accepting a pregnancy - she was accepting a calling that would require everything of her. She was saying yes to being God’s treasure keeper, to carrying the hope of the world within her.
Mary’s ‘yes’ wasn’t passive resignation; it was active, courageous faith. She chose to trust God’s plan even when she couldn’t see the full picture. She chose to become what the Greek Orthodox Church calls ‘Theotokos’ - the God bearer - literally carrying God’s presence into the world.
EVERYTHING
This same invitation extends to each of us today. We may not be called to bear the Christ child, but we are all called to bear Christ’s presence in our world. We are all invited to be God’s treasure keepers, carrying His love, hope, and good news into the places where we live, work, and serve.
The question isn’t whether we’re qualified or ready - Mary certainly didn’t feel ready for what lay ahead. The question is whether we’re willing to say, ‘Here am I. Use me.’ When we offer ourselves to God with Mary’s heart of surrender and trust, ordinary lives become extraordinary vessels for God’s purposes.
Luke 1:38
‘Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
What would it look like for you to say ‘Here am I’ to God in your current season of life?
“Here am I the servant of the Lord? And with that, yes, Mary becomes one of the most honored women of all time.”
God, like Mary, I want to say ‘Here am I’ with a heart full of trust and surrender. Use me as Your treasure keeper in whatever way You see fit. Give me courage to say yes to Your calling. Amen.
MODERN TREASURE KEEPERS
Mary’s story didn’t end with her ‘yes’ to God - it was just the beginning. She became the ultimate treasure keeper, nurturing and protecting God’s greatest gift to humanity. But her calling as a God bearer points to a truth that extends far beyond her unique role: we are all called to be treasure keepers, carrying Christ’s presence into our world.
What does this look like in practical terms? It’s bringing light into darkness through simple acts of love. It’s speaking encouragement to the tired cashier, offering reassurance to the invisible teenager, listening to voices that are rarely heard. It’s sharing hope with those who are poor in spirit, sitting with the lonely, and being Christ’s hands and feet in a hurting world.
Luke 1:30
‘The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Just as Mary carried Jesus physically, we carry Him spiritually into every interaction, every workplace, every relationship. When we choose to be God’s treasure keepers, ordinary moments become opportunities for extraordinary grace. A simple conversation becomes a chance to share hope. A difficult situation becomes a place where God’s love can shine.
The same God who entrusted His treasure to Mary now entrusts it to us. We may feel ordinary, but when we say yes to being God’s treasure keepers, we become part of His saving work in the world. The treasure is no longer hidden - it’s meant to be shared, one life at a time.
How is God calling you to be a treasure keeper in your specific circumstances and relationships this week?
“Aren’t we all given the opportunity to bear God in this world? Aren’t we all called to be God’s treasure keepers?”
Lord, help me to see the opportunities around me to carry Your presence into the world. Make me a faithful treasure keeper, sharing Your love and hope wherever You place me. May my ordinary life become extraordinary through Your grace. Amen.
