Sunday 19 Dec 2021

December 19: Luke 1:39-45

Key Verse: Luke 1:44
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Devotion:
I think Elizabeth was just as surprised as her baby when she heard the voice of Mary when she came into Zechariah's house! Elizabeth was roughly 6 months further on in her pregnancy than Mary, so the baby kicking would have been quite a kick! Elizabeth must have been a bit worried about what she was hearing, concerned for Mary, and generally not at ease with everything which was going on; but when she heard the voice of Mary, and with her baby jumping for joy, she knew the things she had heard were all true!

This is what it can be like to be a Christian in a community which does not outwardly praise God. We can feel like we are fighting a battle every day as we are confronted by people who doubt or raise their voices against God’s Word. We can even doubt what we are doing because of the things we have to face every day. But when someone comes in who praises God openly, our own hearts jump for joy and we feel strong enough to carry on once again.

It is always good to be with other Christians when you are feeling a bit down or a bit tired of having to face off the doubters. It is like fighting a long drawn out battle for what seem like forever when suddenly the cavalry arrives to support you! You soon feel like you can continue fighting and step forward with a new vigour in your fight!

God wants us to always know we have people around us who are able to support us. He will always open your eyes to those around who can help. But if we walk around with our eyes closed or we walk around only focusing on the bad things, we may well not see the help when it arrives. Keep you eyes open, your hearts ready and willing, and be prepared to continue fighting the good fight because God will supply your support!

Points to Ponder:
Do you feel like you are fighting an up-hill battle?

Will you depend on Christ to bring in the support?