Luke 1:45

MEDITATION:  “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”  (NLT)

Context:  Mary, a teenage virgin peasant girl, is suddenly visited by the archangel Gabriel, a messenger of God.  Gabriel tells her that the LORD is with her.  Then, he tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her; she will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, whom she is to name Jesus.  This child will be called the Son of the Most High; God will give Him the throne of His forefather, David; He will reign over the house of Jacob throughout the ages; and His reign will never end.  After telling Mary that her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, is six months pregnant, Gabriel tells Mary that “nothing is ever impossible [with God] and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”  (AMP)  Mary replies, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May everything you have said about me come true.”  (NLT)  Mary goes to visit Elizabeth.  Upon Mary’s greeting, both Elizabeth and the baby that she is carrying are filled with the Holy Spirit.  Controlled by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth pronounces a blessing over Mary.  Mary responds with a song of praise.  (v. 33-55)

REVELATION:  Real faith is taking God at His Word and living as if we have already received its promises BEFORE we actually birth/receive the promises.

APPLICATION:  A promise from God is beyond what our minds can comprehend.  On the one hand, we are excited about the possibility; on the other hand, we are terrified because we know our limitations.  We don’t see how it is humanly possible for us to realize the fulfillment of the promise because it cannot be accomplished based upon our own efforts.  When God speaks a Word of promise in our spirits, we have two options:  doubt and rejection or acceptance and submission.  Without doubting the truthfulness of the angel’s statements; questioning the possibility; seeing any evidence up front; or requiring assurance, Mary accepted the angel’s message from God as truth, acted on it, and praised God for His hand in her life.  She models for us how we are to respond when we get a Word of promise from God.

(1)  Personally submit to the power of God’s Word (v. 38).  God’s Word is Truth.  God’s Word is His action and our response to His Word is to be as Mary’s:  one of submission and acceptance based upon God’s character, not man’s limited understanding or our own.  God cannot lie.  The promises of God are “Yea” and “Amen”.  Submitting to God shows that we give up control of our lives to Him.  Submitting to God shows that we surrender to His authority over us, to His way of doing things.  Proverbs tells us that if we commit our actions to the Lord, our plans will succeed (16:3); “we can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (16:9); “Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful” (16:20); “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (16:25); “you can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail” (19:21); “The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” (20:24)  God’s obligation is to fulfill His Word and the Bible tells us that God’s Word won’t return to Him without accomplishing all that He sent it to accomplish.  That’s all the assurance that we need.  Because God said it, it is so!  How much more would we accomplish in our lives and for the Kingdom of God if we submitted to and accepted God’s Word as the Truth that it is?

A woman doesn’t give birth the day after she finds out that she is pregnant.  In fact, she doesn’t even notice her growth; it just happens as she lives her daily life.  In the same way, there may be no sign of our being pregnant with a promise from God other than the promise in our spiritual womb.  Keep believing and submitting to the power of God’s Word no matter how things look around you, no matter what people say about you, no matter what people attempt to do to you.  Your personal submission to God has nothing to do with other people; so, don’t let them make you think that they have a say.  When they try to dissuade you from walking in the promise that God has given you, you keep believing and submitting to the power of God’s Word.  Your blessing is on the way!

(2)  Purposefully act on the promise of God (v. 39-40).  The angel of God said, “For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” (Luke 1:37-AMP)  Prompted by a Word from God, Mary acted.  Because she acted on the promise, she received both natural reassurance and spiritual affirmation of v. 37.  Without a word being said, Mary could see that her old, formerly barren cousin was pregnant.  Seeing Elizabeth’s stomach protruding was physical evidence of the power of God at work.  Likewise, when we act on the promise of God’s Word to us, we will see physical evidence of God’s power at work in our lives along the way to the fulfillment of the promise.  Doors that were once closed will be opened; ways that didn’t exist will be made; opportunities that weren’t available will present themselves; stagnation will give way to progress; bill money will come; balances will be reduced; extensions will be given; the doctor’s report will be good.

Mary greeted Elizabeth when she arrived at her home.  This simple act triggered divine power.  Mary received spiritual affirmation when the Holy Spirit began speaking through Elizabeth and called her “blessed”.  The first two times, blessed means that Mary and the “Fruit of [her] womb” are favored by God.   The third time, blessed means that Mary is happy and to be envied by all other women.  Through this declaration, Mary receives affirmation that God chose to bestow upon her the honor/privilege of giving birth to the Messiah, to whom Elizabeth referred to as “Lord”.  Mary will be happy because her faith in the promise of God’s Word would be rewarded.  Follow God and act according to His Word and you, too, will receive spiritual affirmation of the promise.  Don’t despise the small, seemingly insignificant steps along the way to the fulfillment of the promise that God has placed within your spiritual womb.  Be intentional with every decision you make, ever step you take, every word you speak.  Go where God tells you to go; do what God tells you to do; say what God tells you to say.  You never know whom God has anointed and appointed to speak an affirming word over the promise that He’s given you.  God will affirm and confirm His Word to you.  You’ll know that it’s spiritual confirmation because the only way that the person could know what he/she knows is for the Holy Spirit to have revealed it to them.  They may not even realize that God is speaking through them.

Just as physical pregnancy is a sensitive process for both the mother and the unborn child, so it is with those of us who are spiritually pregnant with a promise from God.  At every stage, there is potentially a new threat of harm to the promise that you’re carrying.  Sometimes, purposefully acting on the promise of God means that you have to periodically purge your life of people and things that are a hindrance or a detriment to you birthing the promise.  You have to scan the landscape of your life and identify those and that which can cause you to abort or miscarry the promise, those whose activity in your life can cause you to have a breech birth, those whose activity in your life can cause you to go into preterm labor and/or have to have an emergency C-section before it’s time for you to deliver.  If you’re not careful, some will lead you to believe that they are qualified to be your mid-wife when all they really want to do is kill your promise or take it as their own.  Don’t allow anyone or anything to jeopardize the promise that you’re carrying.

(3.)  Publicly proclaim praise for the work of God.  In response to the spiritual affirmation that Mary received, she sang a song of praise for God’s hand at work in her life and in the life of the godly.  Mary praised God for taking her from a “low station” (poor, peasant) and “humiliation” (pregnant out of wedlock) to a place of blessing, happiness, and enviability.  Mary declared God’s name holy and praised Him for His mercy (compassion and kindness) towards those who fear Him with godly reverence.  Mary praised God for His strength, power, and provision.  Mary praised God for keeping His promise to Abraham and his descendants, which includes us, forever.   When you’re pregnant with a promise from God, like Mary, you will freely and publicly praise Him.  When you understand that God’s Word won’t return to Him void, you will praise Him like it’s already done…because it is.  When you’re by yourself, praise Him; when you’re around others, praise Him.  You’re not worthy, but He chose you; so, praise Him.  God could’ve given the promise to anyone, but He gave it to you; so, praise Him.  With tears in your eyes, praise Him; sometimes alone and misunderstood, praise Him.  With aches and pains, praise Him; under pressure, praise Him.  God has been that good to you; so, praise Him.  For protecting the promise when the devil tried to cause a miscarriage, praise Him.  For protecting the promise when the devil tried to make you abort the promise, praise Him.  For protecting the promise when the devil tried to trigger pre-term labor, praise Him.  The devil meant it for bad, but God used it for your good.  God used that break-up to protect the promise.  God used that lay-off to protect the promise.  God used that bad news to protect the promise.  God used that prison sentence to protect the promise.  Determine as the psalmist in Psalm 34:  “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.  O magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together” because He is worthy!!!!

Mary submitted, acted, and praised all BEFORE she saw the manifestation of the Word.  She submitted, acted, and praised because she believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord.  Right where you are, Submit to the power of God’s Word; Act on the promise of God’s Word; Praise God publicly for His hand in your life.  Your believing precedes your blessing.  Embrace the promise and see it fulfilled as Mary did in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Psalm 34:1-3

MEDITATION:  “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”  (KJV)

REVELATION:  The Lord is to be praised at all times and in every situation.

APPLICATION:  I will bless the Lord at all times:  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  It’s easy to praise God when everything thing is going well in our lives and according to our plans.  It’s easy to talk about how good God is, how worthy He is, how faithful He is, how He blesses us, etc…, during those times.  God is the same good, worthy, faithful, blessing-bestowing God when things aren’t going well in our lives nor according to our plans.  The psalmist reminds us that the Lord is to be praised at all times.  When we’re up, He is to be praised; when we’re down, He is to be praised; when we wake in the morning, He is to be praised; as we go through the day, He is to be praised; when we lie down at night, He is to be praised.  “At all times” and “continually” aren’t just situational; they’re also spatial.  No matter where we are, whether we are alone; in a small, intimate setting; or in a large, corporate setting, the Lord is to be praised.  Unashamedly, we will offer the fruit of our lips in praise to the Lord no matter who is around.  We aren’t to ask for permission or seek the approval of others.  “I will” and “His praise shall” are personal declarations because the Lord is worthy.  Question:  Do you bless the Lord at all times, situational and spatial?  Is His praise continually in your mouth?  If not, why don’t you bless Him at all times and why isn’t His praise continually in your mouth?

My soul shall make her boast in the Lord:  the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation.  We can take no credit.  Jesus did it all; so, our boast must be in Him and Him alone.  God’s grace makes available to us everything that we need; so, our boast is in the Lord.  Reflecting upon all that the Lord has done for us is reason for us to boast in Him.  The “humble”/the helpless/those caught in the grip of sin will hear our testimony of the Lord’s goodness and find hope that what God has done for us, He can do for them.  Question:  Do you boast in the Lord or in yourself?  Do you let those around you who you know are lost and helpless know what the Lord has done for you?  If not, why not?

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.  “Magnify” means to make great.  This is an invitation for others to join in and together, let us make great the name of the LORD.  Let us praise His name together.  God’s greatness is deserving of all of our praise.  Let us collectively tell of His good deeds on our behalf.  Question:  When is the last time that you’ve invited others to join you in praising God?  If you haven’t, why not?

1 Corinthians 10:13

MEDITATION:  “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people.  But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”  (GNT)  “The temptations in your life are not different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”  (NLT)

REVELATION:  (1)  You’re not the only one.  (2)  God knows your limit.  (3)  God always provides a way out.

APPLICATION:  In order to truly appreciate the application of this verse of scripture to our lives, we need to look at it in the context of where temptation comes from and the provision that God has already made for us in advance of the temptation.

James 1:13-15 says, “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’  God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”  (NLT)

Hebrews 4:15 says, “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what be we believe.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”  (NLT)

(1)  You’re not the only one.  The nature of our flesh is to do the opposite of what the Spirit of God tells us.  It is a constant struggle.  If God tells us to stay the course, we are tempted to quit.  If God tells us to act, we’re tempted to keep still.  Sometimes it seems as if we desire the very thing that we know is the worst for us.  Figuratively speaking, we even go so far as to take our shoes off and dip our toes in the water, knowing that it won’t be long before we dive in head first.  We even try to rationalize/justify our desires by telling ourselves that “a little bit won’t hurt”, “no one has to know”,  “no one understands”, etc…  If we aren’t careful, we will start believing ourselves and give in to the temptation.

Paul tells us plainly that the temptations we face are not unique to us; other people face the same temptations that we do.  While this verse removes our “nobody understands” excuse, it’s comforting to know that we’re not alone.  Someone somewhere knows exactly how we feel.  Most importantly, Jesus knows.  He has faced every temptation that we could possibly experience and because of this, He is able to identify with our need.  He understands us right where we are in every situation.

(2.)  God knows your limit.  God created us in His image.  He knows everything about us and understands us far better than we understand ourselves.  Psalm 139:1-4 says, “O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.”  v. 13 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  v. 16:  “You saw me before I was born.”

God knows our limits:  physical, emotional, mental, etc…  The text says that God will not allow us to be tested/tempted beyond our ability to endure.  Jesus understands our weaknesses because he’s been where we are.  Hebrews tells us that Jesus “faced all of the same testings that we do…”  It’s in our weaknesses/at our limits that God’s strength is made perfect in us.  It’s in these moments that Jesus carries us.

(3.)  God always provides a way of escape.  Jesus faced temptation, but did not sin.  He is our way of escape.   Because of Jesus, we can go boldly to the throne of grace and ask God for what we need when we feel that the weight of the temptations/tests is more than we can bear.  He won’t turn His back on us.  God keeps His promises and because of His grace, we have access to everything that we need.  All we have to do is ask and receive.  Relying on God’s strength, not our own, is our way of escape.  As the chorus to Yield Not to Temptation says, “You just ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen, and keep you.  He is willing to aid you; He will carry you through.”