The Fruit of Thy Womb

 Please read Luke 1:26-42 which I posted yesterday under the title, The Christmas Story

  Mary was indeed blessed among women. Chosen to carry the Christ Child and to rear and nurture Him, she was both honored and given a serious obligation. She reverently took on the task as she was a godly woman. Her troubled state and her fear were outweighed by her responsibility to God.

  The angel 's greeting to her surprised her and made her wonder. Which one of us, when called upon God to achieve something in His name, would not wonder, "Who, me?" Jeremiah worried that he was too young to speak for the Lord and Moses worried that his speech was not good enough. The angel Gabriel assured Mary that there was no need for fear. He was sent with a message from God to tell her that she had found favor with Him. She was chosen among all women to bear His Son. The plan of salvation would soon be implemented and she was a vehicle to be used by God Most High. When Gabriel finished his message, her reply was simple: "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." The angel left and Mary hurried to see her cousin Elizabeth who was also experiencing a miracle birth!    "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." (vs. 37)

  Three things I see in this part of the Christmas story are:

1. Miracles are common!

2. God uses the faithful.

3. The importance of encouragement.

  Let's first look at Miracles. One dictionary definition states that a miracle is "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs"* Mary definitely experienced a string of extraordinary events beginning with an angelic visitation, a message and messenger directly sent from God, a supernatural pregnancy and also indirectly through her cousin who, "filled with the Holy Ghost", recognized the enormity of Mary's blessing; "blessed is the fruit of thy womb."(Luke 1:42c)

  The Christian who is filled with the Spirit of God experiences many extraordinary events which he recognizes are of God. When we walk with the Lord, as Mary did, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, as was Elizabeth, our very lives become extraordinary. We are open to a visitation by an angel or the Holy Spirit. Anything can happen! Is there anything ordinary about God? There is nothing ordinary about our walk with Him. He takes ordinary people and shows them the divine when they are humble before Him. He can not even use us if we are not humbled. He used a young girl who knew nothing of the world beyond her little corner. She was inexperienced in things of the world but she was used by God to change the world. He had a plan to send "his only begotten son"(John 3:16b) "that the world through him might be saved."(John 3:17b)

   How can God use each one of us? He especially uses the faithful. When we walk in faith we expect miracles and understand that we need to be used by Him as part of our Christian walk. We need to be aware of opportunities in which we can serve Him and His Kingdom. We are to be active among the body of believers as well as witnesses to the unsaved. We need to lift each other up and encourage each other along in our Christian walk. This we do out of love for God and love for each other.

  We recognize that God uses the humble and so we recognize the need to repeat such scriptures as Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me", into the ears of our fellow laborers in Christ. Many of us are fearful. We're usually afraid that we won't measure up to His expectations. But, "Fear not"! God knows who we are before he commissions us!

  Gabriel told Mary, "Fear not" and she ran to her cousin to share her joy and they rejoiced together. It's been said that there are no "Lone Ranger" Christians. We are encouraged to meet together as we see in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." But also on an individual level we see in Luke 1 how two women who are related to each other have even stronger bonds than their family ties, as they are bonded in their joy in the Lord. Our greatest spiritual ties will often be found with our Christian brothers and sisters and not our natural families.

  As we go about our daily business, let's each be aware of the presence of God, His call on our lives and the miracles with which He reveals himself to us. As we witness of these miracles, lets encourage each other in love. While a life filled with miracles is common to a Christian, it is also a life in which there is much to overcome. In fact, there will be much tribulation in the life of a Christian. Let's lift each other up in prayer with words of encouragement and grace. Mary had company in her pregnancy with her cousin Elizabeth. They shared their good news. Mary also had company in her grief; she was joined by other godly women at the foot of the cross on which her firstborn Son, our Savior Jesus, was crucified.

*Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary