A Devotional on Luke 1:25-56 NIV
Barbi Shires

Scripture: Luke 1:25-56 NIV
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 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 the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Devotional:
What must Elizabeth have thought about becoming a first-time mother at an advanced age? Parents in general have reservations about raising a child and all of the questions, uncertainties and responsibility that go with it, let alone going through this when you are well past child rearing age. And yet, in another town her kin, Mary, was learning of her own miracle/challenge and calling from God.

How must Mary have felt about carrying a child when she wasn’t married? I’m sure some of her first thoughts could have been: “What would Joseph say, think?”, “Will he still have me or will he turn on me and disgrace my family?” But this was not her reaction at all. Being given such an enormous responsibility at such a young age and not knowing what reactions from others to expect, she demonstrated a faith beyond her years and a heart ready to fulfill her calling.

When Mary went to share her news with Elizabeth, another unexpected mother-to-be, she knew that Elizabeth would understand her fears, reservations and uncertainty of the future. They were both carrying special children that would change the world. How does one even begin to process this?

This scripture leaves me with so many questions: What does it mean to fulfill a calling from God? How would I react if I were in Elizabeth’s or Mary’s shoes? Would I be as willing and obedient as they were? What would my reaction be to an unexpected pregnancy?

I’d like to think I would react with the same obedience as Elizabeth and Mary. That my faith is strong enough to know that God will not leave me to go through the challenges in life alone. We have to have faith that God will never give us more than we can handle and that He will be there with us each step we take, each tear we may shed, each doubt that might creep in. 

Remembering that God knows His plans for us, so ultimately, our job is to not question, rather to let it be with us according to His word.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for coming into our lives when we least expect it, challenging us, and never leaving us, even when things get tough. Help us to have the faith of a mustard seed, knowing that You alone have a plan, regardless of how we might try to avoid, escape, or change the course of that plan. You will not leave us to face life alone. In the name of Jesus, Emanuel, the baby that came to change the world, Amen.