FILED UNDER
POSTED ON
A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom to be planted. Deeper Roots is focused on analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Luke 1:39-56.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:39-56 ESV
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Our Deeper Roots passage in Luke shows how we should respond to divine interruptions. Our passage highlights the events that took place prior to Jesus’s earthly arrival. Mary had just received the revelation about Jesus and her relative, Elizabeth, from an angel. So Mary sets off to visit Elizabeth. Their encounter is filled with immediate recognition of the important gifts that each of them carries. Mary responds with an exclamation of joy and reverence for the power and providence of God. After three months pass, Mary returns home.
When Mary finds out that she is destined to give birth by miraculous means, she puts herself in an environment of preparation. Mary knew from the angel that Elizabeth was further along in her pregnancy and sought her out. Both of them were first-time mothers, with divine revelations on who their children would be. Mary positioned herself in a place with someone further along than she was. And once she arrived, they both recognized the gift of what they were carrying. Those three months were full of preparation for not only John the Baptist’s arrival but Jesus Christ’s arrival. Because at that time, Mary had no idea that she would be delivering in a different town, in a cave, and placing her newborn in a manger, but walking alongside Elizabeth prepared her for the season ahead.
When God presents us with divine interruptions, we have a choice. Let’s learn from Mary’s example and place ourselves in environments of preparation. We should find mentors who are further along and learn all that we can. We will never know what lies ahead, but we can take time to glean wisdom from others. There is no telling which experiences will help us navigate the challenges ahead, but we can always remember that God wastes nothing.
Share this post
The Beatitudes 20 And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your
I have been lost a time or two. Usually, because I got distracted and wandered off the intended path. Whatever sparked my interest was enough to cause me to lose sight of my intended destination. In this passage, we find Jesus as a child, so focused on His Father’s business that he wanders off from his parents. In my own life, I’ve found that I’m not prone to wander towards my father’s business….but away from it.
As a child, nothing compared to the excitement of being able to sit up and waiting for New Year’s Day. We’d sit up as long as possible on December 31st awaiting the coming year. We knew what was coming, yet we had to watch the clock or we’d miss it. In this passage, Jesus reminds us of the signs before his second coming. He teaches that in order to recognize the second coming, we must stay alert. These verses prompt us to be mindful of the state of our hearts and to stay ready at all times for the coming day of God’s judgment.
REFLECTION – Do you find yourself growing weary in your walk with the Lord? How can you stay encouraged and ready for Jesus Christ’s second coming?
I know that most people are in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season, but December always reminds me to slow down and reflect. It’s something about the cold weather that forces me to cozy up and sit still… I believe the stillness opens
If you or someone close to you is in need, we would be honored to lift you up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer to bring peace, comfort, and reassurance during times of hardship. Our community is ready to join together and pray as we trust in God’s love and unending grace.
