Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Being so familiar with this passage, the Lord indicated which verse I would be writing on before I ever read it! This is a beautiful counterpoint to yesterday’s passage, where Zechariah had to endure the consequences of his failure to believe what Gabriel had told him. Mary, in contrast, believed fully that what Gabriel had told her would happen even as he had said. The Japanese translation here makes Elizabeth’s words as emphatic as possible, with terms like “believed completely” and “positively fulfilled.” Mary’s faith was indeed remarkable, and she was rewarded for it. She certainly had great heartache, as Simeon later warned her, (Luke 2:35) seeing her oldest child scourged and crucified, but in balance, she had the greatest privilege ever granted a woman, of carrying and bearing the Son of God. She was also in the group in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out, (Acts 1:14, 2:1) so she didn’t miss out on that, either. All in all, she was rewarded handsomely for her faith. Today, Catholic veneration of Mary sometimes crosses over into idolatry I think, which certainly doesn’t please her to whatever degree she is aware of it, but Elizabeth’s words to her at this juncture were accurate indeed.

This is brought to life in my awareness at this point because one of my spiritual children and his wife had their first child just a week ago, and I talked with them both last night by phone. Birth always includes a touch of the miraculous. That said, the point in this verse is the reward for faith. This can get complicated to talk about, because faith itself is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we still have to choose to accept it and exercise it. Mary made that choice definitively in Luke 1:38, and she and all mankind have been immeasurably blessed in consequence. I too have been given faith, but I too must choose to let it indwell me fully and put it to work. I have daily, sometimes almost constant, challenges to my faith. I’m not to rebel at or resent those challenges, but rather rejoice that God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am to remember that life in this body will always have challenges, (John 16:33) but rejoice that I can get through them all because of Christ in me. (Philippians 4:13)

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for the blessed time of fellowship with one of the members here, getting to know him better and building up the Body of Christ. The week ahead has fairly major things every day on my schedule. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You through it all, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!