Advent Reading In His Word, December 7, 2020
Here we go again! Shopping is getting crowded, which really
is normal for this time of year, but there are blessings in it! We have fewer
minutes in lines, because they have more cashiers and lines are spaced it seems
to divert some from shopping early or later and it is easier to get in and out.
It takes a bit of maneuvering, but we can find little things in the days to
encourage us for the moment.
Mary ran off to Elizabeth after she heard the angel say that
she too was with child. There is some speculation space for whether it was to
assure herself that God had truly chosen her, or if it were to encourage
Elizabeth that she too was going through this time.
What we do know is that when God gives someone a word or encouragement,
we want to share it with someone. Sometimes not everyone understands what we
are going through or will receive what God has shown us to share but we can be
encouraging in His Word if we read for encouragement. If we read for wisdom, we
can first gain the wisdom then share wisdom with others. We are blessed today
to have so many versions of the Bible that we can all find one that we
understand how to read. The one thing we need to remember is to be strong in
the Lord, in His Holy Spirit, we must read the Word and pray daily. We must
keep the connection. Visit the words He had written there for all of us, back
then and today.
A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea,
to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted
Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within
her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
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. You are
blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. Luke 1:39-45
We are told that Mary went to Elizabeth and stayed for a
while because God wanted us to know this. Surely both women were a good support
to one another, knowing God had given them both miracle births we can see the
connection clearly in retrospect; but they gathered together in unison with
likeminded people when they came together. Even the baby got the connection we
know this from the ‘leapt in her womb’ line.
We who are strong must be considerate of those who are
sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should
help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ
didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who
insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the
Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s
promises to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this patience and encouragement,
help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers
of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving
praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:1-6
We must be strong, as we have our hope in Jesus, to be our
Savior and Lord eternally, He must first be our Savior and Lord internally.
Then we can carry that hope with us as we go out into the world and do our
daily jobs, or gathering of goods, so that we may share also the goodness and
Good News of Christ with those around us. That we too, may share the hope that
is desperately needed by so many today.
In Jesus’ name…