SATURDAY December 17, 2022

Joy in the Womb

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:42-45

Mary could hardly wait to see her relative Elizabeth. She arose and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-40). As soon as Mary entered the house and greeted her, Elizabeth’s baby leaped in her womb.

Instantly, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke words of confirmation to Mary. She uttered everything the angel Gabriel had already told Mary. Elizabeth knew what had happened to Mary without her having to say a single word––amazing. She knew Mary carried within her womb, Christ the Lord. Mary was blessed among women, and Elizabeth commended her young relative for her great faith.

Imagine, Mary stayed with someone within her own family who completely understood her situation. I am sure she may have felt alone as a young, unmarried, pregnant teenager, but she found comfort with Elizabeth, an older woman in the family who lovingly embraced her. Elizabeth was a woman in tune with God, and Mary received such encouragement.

Notice, Elizabeth recognized that the Child in Mary’s womb was her personal Lord––“the mother of my Lord.” Mary was assured by Elizabeth that everything spoken by the angel to her would be fulfilled.

It is interesting that the son of Elizabeth experienced joy and leaped in his mother’s womb, knowing that he was in the presence of the Lord, even though He was in the womb of Mary. The life of any child begins in the womb; for Christ, His divinity was wrapped in humanity in Mary’s womb.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
~Galatians 4:4-5~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!