And [Elizabeth] cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Luke 1:42
We are being given a window into an intimate encounter between two women who were experiencing great change. Elizabeth was about to be a senior new mother and Mary was about to be a virgin new mother. It’s likely that both women felt uneasy, thinking about the coming changes.
Yet what did they focus on? Not their own fears. They blessed God and they blessed each other.
Elizabeth blessed Mary by confirming God’s truth in her life (1:44–45), and she blessed Mary’s unborn son, Jesus, by acknowledging him as her Lord (1:43).
Mary glorified the Lord in praise (1:46–49), and blessed Elizabeth by sharing the presence of Jesus within her (1:44). Both women were able to do this because the Holy Spirit spoke and acted through them.
When we spend time with Christian sisters and brothers, let’s have intention. Beyond enjoying ourselves, do we consciously look for opportunities to bless God and to let the Holy Spirit bless each of us through the other?
As we prepare to be with people this season, let us pray ahead and ask God what he would like us to say or do that will bless him and bless them. While with others, we can actively ask ourselves, “How can God be blessed through what they are saying?” and “How is God blessing me through them?” Or if someone contacts us with a practical matter, maybe our response can also include blessing God and blessing them.
Christmas is an ideal time to bless God for his wonderful gift of Jesus our Lord, and to bless others by sharing how amazing that gift is.
God in heaven, while we live in a culture characterized by consumerism and individualism, help us to be mindful of others, looking for opportunities to love them as you have loved us.
Carol Nowak
* Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, ©The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995. Used by permission.
** The above was taken from Glory to God in the Highest: A Christmas Devotional (Oakville: Proclamation, 2024).
By job title, Alice is the office administrator at Oakridge. But her behind-the-scenes efforts go far beyond that! She is actively involved in the leadership team for the Tuesday evening women's bible study, she is on the mission committee, and she has recently both stepped into the leadership of church bridal and baby shower celebrations, and started teaching in our Ozone kids program. Oh, and if you see any special seasonal or holiday decorations around the church, it's a safe bet that Alice was involved!