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THE BLESSEDNESS OF BELIEF Luke 1:39-45 Will you make room for Him? With Christmas approaching and ideas running through our heads of how we will be celebrating the holidays, we rarely take time to stop and think about the real reason Christmas exists today. Jesus!! In the far recesses of one’s mind, a faint reminder of the birth of baby Jesus to a virgin named Mary does exist. Unfortunately, in most people’s cases, that’s all that is connected spiritually to Christmas. There is so much more!! In the Scripture reading for today, we find two believers who have fully given their hearts and lives over to the Lord. They know God has a plan for them, even though they are not sure what the whole plan is. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John, have an unimaginable amount of belief because they made room for Jesus. This should be conviction to us where our belief is not as strong—“Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Because they simply believe that the Lord’s plan for them is better than any plan they could conjure up themselves, they receive a great reward. Now, do not presume that simple belief in the Lord will give you material rewards. The kind of reward I am speaking of takes place down deep in the hearts of Mary and Elizabeth. In addition, they failed to stop at just a mental belief—as I said before, the only plan for their lives was God's plan. “…when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe lept in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb…” (Luke 1:41-43) This is Elizabeth speaking, but how does she know that Mary is carrying the Lord Jesus? Well, the Holy Ghost may—no does—have a "little" bit to do with that. But, why is she so blessed as to have the Holy Ghost fill her? Because of her belief! Elizabeth made a lot of room for the Lord in her life—she humbled herself, died to herself, and gave God all the room. He rewarded her spiritually with discernment, blessed her with a baby who would precede Jesus, and filled her with the Holy Ghost as she and Mary fellowshipped in His presence. While Mary is usually the only one who really gets accredited for anything, many overlook the other woman who was also blessed for her belief—Elizabeth. “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45) Elizabeth says this, but she’s speaking of Mary. We know Mary believed, but for those who are not familiar with the story, Luke 1:38 shows us her belief. Because she believes God’s plan for her life is greater than her plan, she was blessed with the Son of God. Her belief is evident to Elizabeth and this brings them into fellowship with each other and the Lord. When we believe God’s plan for our lives and trust Him fully, we too will be blessed. Faith and trust in the Lord is a blessing that goes beyond belief, and is acquired through a true relationship with Him—the whole reason the Christmas season exists. ~ Nicole Ellis, age 17
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