” A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” Luke 1:39-47
So Gabriel has shown up 3 times now and talked to 3 different people, Zechariah, Joseph and now Mary. He always brings an announcenent about Jesus’ birth! So Elizabeth’s pregnant, Mary is married to Joseph and pregnant and the stage is set for Jesus’ birth! Mary decides to pay her cousin Elizabeth a visit and when she shows up at Elizabeth’s house and greets her, baby John, who is still unborn, jumped in Elizabeth and she was filled with the Holy Spirit! Jesus’ Presence was so powerful, even though He was unborn and in Mary’s womb, that John , himself unborn, responded with excitement to Him!
Elizabeth’s verbal response to Mary is recorded here! She says to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Let’s look carefully at Elizabeth’s statement: “you are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said”! What level of blessing would we find ourselves in if we simply and honestly believed God when He speaks to us because He DOES! Jesus told His disciples: “Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” Simple belief ALWAYS brings God’s blessing!
Elizabeth certainly believed because she also asks Mary, “Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? (43). Mary isn’t even showing yet and Elizabeth recognizes her Baby ad her Lord, the Savior of the world!
Mary answers Elizabeth with a 9 verse song of praise to God that begins with, “Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! Vs 46-47
Sometimes we live our lives as if God is far off and doesn’t want to talk to us. I believe if we’ll listen to Him speak through His word, thru those who teach and preach His word, thru the beauty of the nature He surrounds us with and through His still, small inner voice that SHOUTS His love for you! LISTEN, He’s speaking! BELIEVE, He’s for real!
THINK ABOUT IT!
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