Tag Archives: Luke 1:39-45

Elizabeth iii #adventbookclub

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Luke 1:39-45 (CEV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:

God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me.45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

 She came.  And I knew.  I know we women often have an inkling when someone is pregnant, but this was different.  I knew from the depth of my being.  It was like my baby knew too.  Recognised something in Mary, something special, something happening, something growing, something of God.  God is about to do something spectacular, and somehow Mary and I are caught up in this.  Our babies are not just miraculous, but the very essence of God, living in us now, but soon to be living and breathing in the world.

Stephen Cottrell uses the phrase, “Fire in by belly” (p77).  I like that.  That sends my thought off.

Lord,
though we cannot all birth you,
we can each carry your life within us;
living,
growing,
being.

Lord,
may I make space for you,
allow you to change my life,
and prepare me for what is to come.

Be the ‘fire in my belly’
I pray.


 Join us reading Walking Backwards to Christmas by Stephen Cottrell from SPCK Publishing this advent.  Be part of #adventbookclub, share your thoughts here, on your own blog (and let us know we’ll link to it), on Twitter using #adventbookclub or on the Adventbookclub Facebook page

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Ready or Not #adventbookclub – Day 22

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I can’t pass over Maggi’s comment on the introduction to this section,

things that seem very ordinary to us are not necessarily unimportant… (p101)

How true.

Luke 1:39-45 (CEV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

By Warburg (Own work)

39 A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42 Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:

God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43 Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45 The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

Mary,
you have come to me,
carrying within you
the Lord.

My child
recognises your child,
I know,
I feel,
God’s blessing is here.

You believed him,
allowed him to work in you,
and through you
he will bless us.

Maggi talks about God’s timetables (p104) – how true!  God’s timing is rarely at our convenience, but always the right time.  (Maggi’s story reminds me of ours.  We decided to move house when I was pregnant, eventually finding one when I was 34 weeks pregnant.  The solicitor tried to tell us it would be very hard to complete in four weeks – I suggested to her it was quite important!  This baby was coming, whether she or we were ready – or not)

This takes us back to Day 1.  God is coming whether it feels like the right time or not.  Coming into the unreadiness, the mess, the inconvenient.  Into the pain, the fear, the wondering – and yes the wonder and awe too.  He is indeed coming – ready or not

Lo, He Comes

This year, several of us are reading Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn and joining together to comment on it.  Do join us at the Adventbookclub Facebook page, follow #adventbookclub on Twitter or comment below.  If you are also reading and blogging on this book, let me know and I will link to your blog.

What does the Lord require of You?

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Luke 1:39-45 – the realization that this will be a special baby

Mary Visits Elizabeth

A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.  She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.

The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth.  Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:

God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have.  Why should the mother of my Lord come to me?  As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me.  The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.

So I went off to see Elizabeth.  I thought she might be the one person who would understand.  After all God was working in her life as well.  God had given her a special child to carry too.  Her son was going to show the way. He was going to tell others about my son, God’s son.

But I never even got chance to tell her.  Before the words were out of my mouth she knew.  The one within her, recognised the one within me.  His showing others had begun already, as he let his mother now that something special was happening in me, something important was happening in the world.

God was working – and he was doing it now.

What precious thing is God wanting to do in your life?  Does he have something for you to carry for him?  Something for you to do for him?

It may seem inconvenient, difficult, even downright embarrassing.  But doing something for God is a privilege.

Are you listening for his call?  When you hear his call, will you answer?  Will you let him work in you and through you?  Bringing him into the world, pointing the way to him?