Scripture:
Luke 1:39-45
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
Thoughts:
Before words, before the sense of sight, the human soul senses the presence of Christ.
Mary, the mother of Christ, had expression of it in her very voice. When Jesus comes into a life, it is like that: we are saturated with the joy of Heaven, and it is part of even our daily communications. A baby, John the Baptist, could discern that he was in the presence of Christ by the very sound of Mary’s greeting. What makes us happy? What makes those around us happy? Believing that the Lord will complete His promises. Mary allowed God to plant in her a miraculous life that fulfilled the promises of God to her people, and to her personally.
Will we also say?
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
Let God’s promise of salvation be planted in your heart today. Believe it, and give it room to grow.
Activity:
Find a jar, let everyone write one of the promises of God on a small piece of paper, maybe use a printable gift tag for a colorful design. Fold them and put them in the jar. Plant them with hope and expect joy in the coming year.
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