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Wednesday (Day 11)

VERSES: Luke 1:39-45 & Galatians 6:2

There is power in community. When we share an experience with someone else, we receive a type of encouragement that is like an oasis in the desert, water for our thirsty soul. At our church, we host groups for widows and for those grieving the loss of a loved one. All the members of these groups are dealing with similar issues and find comfort in fellowship with others walking the same road. Like a heavy piece of furniture that needs to be moved, the task is easier if more people are grabbing and helping share the load.

Maybe you have experienced something like this in your life …

At the end of yesterday’s reading, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant, even though she was well past child-bearing days (Luke 1:36). This was shared to encourage Mary that God can do impossible things (Luke 1:37). Now, what was more impossible: Elizabeth conceiving through natural means yet as an old woman, or Mary conceiving through supernatural means as a young virgin? While both are miraculous, Mary’s situation was even more improbable, but Gabriel still used Elizabeth’s example to encourage Mary of what God can do.

In today’s verses, we see Mary head to Elizabeth’s house to spend time with Elizabeth and Zechariah while their babies were still in utero. The interaction was super encouraging for both, and that should not surprise us. These two women were the only two women in the world who understood what it meant to have a miraculous pregnancy!

Mary did not have daily dialogues with Gabriel … he visited once. I am guessing that somewhere along the way, Mary might have wondered, “Did I hear the angel correctly?” How did God minister to her during the time of her pregnancy? It seems God cared for Mary the same way He cares for many of us … through the warm embrace of a friend who is going through something similar.

Do you need care today? Like Mary, move in the direction of Christian community and help bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.