Christmas Journey: Ten Days of Wonder Sample

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord. Luke 1:45

Elizabeth’s prophetic declaration to Mary is quite possibly one of the most profound and powerful assurances in all of the Bible. The LORD will fulfill His promises to those who believe.

Mary is blessed because she heard Him, and she believed. It doesn’t say she trusted Him perfectly or that she didn’t have some doubts, and yes, even fears, but her blessing came because she trusted God no matter what.

We can kind of stumble when it comes to genuine faith in God. Right? Most of us agree that we come up short in the trust Him department. Well, join the club of Abraham, Moses, Peter, and the rest of the disciples, to name a few. Nevertheless, we must start somewhere to let go of the control of our life’s situations and rely entirely upon His love for us.

We grow in trust with someone as we spend time with them. Jesus is our Someone, and there really is no other way. Word of mouth from a pastor or teacher won’t be enough to cut it when we face difficult seasons.

We grow in believing Him when we sense and feel His love and care for us, backing up His Word and vice versa. Jesus has poured His love into our hearts, but have we cultivated the experience of His love in time alone with Him in the Holy Spirit? He has an open-door policy, but have we been accepting His invitation to take the time to walk through the door and just be with Him?

Mary received a word from God, which also pertains to us. His Word tells us that He is always speaking, but have we stopped listening? We can’t even begin to hear His promises for us if we don’t turn off the noise in our lives and, well, keep quiet. Honest, it isn’t that hard (James 3:15-17), but hearing His voice is something we must nurture and cultivate because His Word is near, and He has many promises to give and fulfill in our lives.

Let’s learn from Mary–and receive the miraculous.

Take a moment to consider: What is the Holy Spirit encouraging or challenging me with from today’s lesson? How can I prayerfully act upon what He is saying?