Blessed is she who believed
When my youngest daughter was eight year old and read, she always followed me around, I made sure to put her to work. Her main task in the evenings was to read the bible to me. Oh yes, I make her read the King James Version too. During the season of Advent, she would read the story of Jesus’ birth from the gospel of Luke. It is a tradition I have kept only that as a teen, she doesn’t follow me around nor do my bidding easily so I read to myself. It warms my heart every time to hear the story of Elizabeth and Mary, two very unlikely candidates for miracles.
Here was Elizabeth, an old barren woman who had probably endured years of shame for being barren, now told she was going to have a baby. Can you imagine what was going through her mind when she became pregnant with her miracle baby John? Then, there is her young cousin Mary, a young woman from a little town that God will choose to bear his son. Talk about confounding the wise.
Of all the people in the world, including the royalty in those days that God picked Mary?
If I were God, I would pick a couple similar to Prince William or Harry and and their wives, to bring my son into the world, trading the manager for the Buckingham palace. But I believe that God in his infinite wisdom chose an ordinary girl so that all of us ordinary people could relate. Mary spent a few months with Elizabeth and I am sure that they reminded each other about the faithfulness of God. When Mary was wondering how the angel’s words to her could be, the angel told her about Elizabeth’s own miracle. I think to assure Mary that Elizabeth can vouch for the Lord.
Elizabeth told Mary and I paraphrase, “blessed is she who believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord”
Elizabeth was saying to Mary in essence, I have been there, done that and I know that he delivers. Elizabeth could have said, Mary, the angel promised us this baby, I haven’t had the baby yet so let’s wait and see but instead, she already believed that her son child will be born just as the angel had foretold no matter what. Oh how I wish I had faith like that of Elizabeth and Mary. I have been believing so many things that I believed were promises from the Lord. I haven’t heard from any angels of course, but promises from the Lord nonetheless. Some promises haven’t come to pass yet and I worry at times if they will ever come to pass. This Christmas season however, in the midst of a raging pandemic and social unrests, I am reminded once again of the Lord’s faithfulness and believing that as he came through for Elizabeth and Mary, so will He come through for you and me.
What has the Lord promised you? Does it feel at times that God doesn’t know your name or that He has lost your address? Remember that in due season, the angel was able to find Mary. Two things I want to leave with you from the story of these two unusual candidates are these two things that were said to Mary.
“for with God nothing shall be impossible” and “blessed is she who believed for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” My prayer for you is that these words will speak to your heart and you will also believe that those things that the Lord has promised you will also come to pass. Have a great Christmas season! Afehyia Pa!
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