Fresh Start Devotionals

Blessed Belief It was quiet in Elizabeth’s house. There were no sounds of children slamming doors, scuffling or laughing. Elizabeth was barren. Barren—the very word elicits sights of sand blowing across the desert, or the sounds of boots walking on parched earth. It got quieter. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were getting old and rickety. They were at the time of life when loud noises startled them and their ears didn’t work quite as well as before. Zechariah was tending to his work at the temple with the angel Gabriel suddenly appeared before him with news that Elizabeth was pregnant. Zechariah didn’t believe the angel so God took the ability to speak from him. Getting a preacher not to talk—now that’s a miracle! When she was six-months pregnant, Mary came to visit her. Mary was pregnant, but not married. If you agree that the aged Elizabeth’s pregnancy was a miracle, you will also agree that the virgin Mary’s pregnancy was a super-miracle. Elizabeth, showing great emotional maturity, didn’t talk about her baby, instead, she immediately rejoiced with Mary. She said: “You are blessed by God above all other women” (Luke 1:42 NLT) Why was Mary blessed? Her pregnancy disrupted her plans, and caused her future husband to doubt her loyalty. She faced hardship, pain and sorrow. Why was she blessed? Elizabeth, with a miracle baby in her womb, sitting in the presence of her silent, unbelieving husband answered that question. “You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (Luke 1:45 NLT) Jim L. Wilson, Fresh Start Devotionals (Fresno, CA: Willow City Press, 2009).