Week 3- Joy
Trusting in God’s Promise
Request: Lord, open my eyes as I read your word, my ears to hear, my mind to understand, and my heart to be filled with your love.
Read Luke 1:26-45
Record your favorite verse and comment if you want to share.
Respond with a prayer to God.
We have all heard this story as it was told to Luke by Mary herself. At the time, the angel came to her with the greeting and told her, “You are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” At this time, her relative, Elizabeth, was already six months into her pregnancy. After her conversation with the Angel, she responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” (I need to say here that I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a conversation with an Angel! Can you?)
Mary was so full of joy for Elizabeth that she quickly made her way to Elizabeth. “Quickly” was not a short walk to a neighbor or a friend’s house – this was a 90-100 mile trip and most likely took a week to get there. What joy there must have been in this reunion! When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby leaped in her womb. She had been told by the Holy Spirit that Mary’s baby was the Messiah and responded, “But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” With these words, she strengthened Mary’s faith with her already knowing all of this. Elizabeth, full of joy for her pregnancy, was also filled with joy that Mary came to her.
I love this story. Can’t you picture the joy of these two women when they met? Elizabeth carrying John the Baptist, who would go before Jesus to prepare the way, and Mary carrying our Lord. There could have been envy on Elizabeth’s part, but she was filled with joy. We can all use this example to transform our envy or jealousy into joy for others.
My verse: Luke 1:37, “For no word from God will ever fail.”
God chose Mary, a young, poor woman, to be the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He chose Elizabeth to be the mother of John the Baptist, well past her years of childbearing. He has a plan for all of us! No matter what his plan is for you and me, we can all live with joy knowing that because of God’s promise, we know that Jesus will come again.
My Response: Jesus, I know that you will come again and we will be with you for eternity. What a day of joy it will be!
3 Comments. Leave new
“Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”” Vs 28
In that time women were not shown favor. They were barely noticed. Thank you Lord that you notice ALL of us. You don’t choose just the “greatest” or the “most important”. You use all of us for your will and purpose.
SO true. The number of women mentioned and given major roles in the story of Jesus is phenomenal. Thank You, Lord, that in Christ there is no male nor female, no Jew nor Gentile, no slave nor free – we are all Yours!
My verse: Luke 1:45 “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
My response: Mary believed God. She, a virgin, would become pregnant by being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and would carry in her womb … Messiah. That’s a lot to believe. Oh, Father, thank You for Mary’s purity and trust! Thank You for her willing heart to follow Your plan for her life, which meant a discarding of her own plans. When you ask far lesser things of me … help me to say as Mary did: “I am the Lord’s servant” (vs 38) and enable me to so what You ask with the same willing heart.