Saturday, December 14

Elizabeth, who had been long barren, was miraculously carrying a child. This
story, for the first readers of Luke, could be seen as one of hope for Israel. They too
had suffered a long time of barrenness, but continued to have hope that God would
restore them.

Like Elizabeth and the Israelites’, we can identify with barrenness in our own lives.
There are times when we feel like God isn’t there or even hearing us. Thankfully,
God has provided us with God inspired scripture full of accounts where God was
working in the mist of their circumstances even when they could not see it.
God’s timing is always perfect; it has been proven time and time again. When
Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s home, God revealed himself through the movement of
the Holy Spirit. Not only was this telling for Elizabeth, but Mary received
confirmation that what the angel had told her was true and that God was in the mist
of her circumstances.

Through the times of barrenness and suffering that Elizabeth and Mary endured,
God breathed hope for us. God knew us and was paving a way for us long before
we were born. When we are feeling hopeless, we can thank God for the eternal
provision he made for us so many years ago through the birth of his son Jesus
Christ. With this hope we are reminded that the Lord is sovereign, in control and
active in the lives of believers.

Merry Christmas,
Paige Bond (2013)