Adapted from She, delighting in the women of the Bible, volume 3, pp 33-34
Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:39-56, Hebrews 11:6, and Psalm 37:4-5
Take delight in the LORD; and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD; trust Him and He will help you.
Psalm 37:4-5
Sometime after Mary professed her belief in the angel’s message and surrendered to the will of the LORD, she went to visit Elizabeth, her cousin. You most likely know the story, but it never gets old, does it? Luke writes that 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. Oh, how I love the words of Elizabeth, the description of the baby jumping for joy, and the sign that seemed to be to her that Mary had indeed been given the honor of bringing the long-awaited Messiah into the world.
As Mary had believed the words of the angel and surrendered to the will of God for her life, Elizabeth also believed and made her belief known to Mary, saying: “And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” What an encouragement that must have been to Mary, whom I cannot help but imagine has been feeling somewhat alone in all of this since she received the announcement. Though undoubtedly, her faith was a sustaining grace, the questions, conversations, judgments, and, especially, Joseph’s initial doubts had to weigh heavily on her mind and heart. Then she arrives at Elizabeth’s and is greeted with great excitement and honor. The Lord, our God, is so good to give us just the encouragement we need when we need it.
The willingness of the women to believe and Mary’s willingness to surrender were, as the study journal points out, “birthed in faith that if the Lord said it, there is no doubt it would happen.”
This is the faith that the author of Hebrews writes about in Hebrews 11:6, where we read: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Both Mary and Elizabeth believed that what God had said would happen. This reminds me of what Paul alludes to in Philippians 1:6, when he states that he is “confident that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.“
She had faith, and God performed a miracle.1
MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, ALSO SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE THAT WHEN WE BELIEVE WHAT THE LORD HAS PROMISED, HE IS CERTAIN TO PERFORM IT.
Reflection and Application
When you pray, is your attitude one of confidence – not in what you want but in what the Lord can do? If you are waiting for a prayer to be answered, are you confidently surrendered to the will/desire of God for your life or the life of the one you are praying for?
Friends, the way we pray and what we pray matters… consider this commentary from Hebrews 11:6 by bibleref.com:
What does Hebrews 11:6 mean?
This is a popular verse from the book of Hebrews, and also one easily misunderstood out of context. Taken all by itself, the verse presents a truth which is fairly easy to understand. Namely, that God’s first and foremost concern is with our faith—our attitude towards Him and trust in Him—rather than in our actions. This does not make our behaviors unimportant. On the contrary: what we do reflects what we truly believe (James 2:14–17). However, as this verse shows, merely “going through the motions” is not what God is looking for. Those who want to please God need to have faith, not simple agreement, and not merely reluctant cooperation. ~ ~The problem with quoting or reading this verse out of its context is the specter of “blind faith,” or wishful thinking. As shown in prior passages, the writer of Hebrews is not advocating for a gullible, wishful-thinking attitude. On the contrary, this entire letter has been an exercise in evidence and logic. The writer’s point is meant to emphasize the primacy of true faith over insincere works: robotic obedience without legitimate trust in God is worthless. This lesson is given as part of a description of Old Testament figures whose actions prove their faith. (emphasis mine)
The More We Know
“Many of our prayers appear to go unanswered simply because we do not believe that God is willing and able to bring them to pass.”2
Me From the Inside Out 