Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"BLESSED"
December 12, 2017
(Mary said) "... For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name."
~ Luke 1:48b-49 (ESV)
"Blessed" is a trendy word these days. People use it on Twitter and Facebook. Today's posts include people feeling "blessed" for a sports win, a college acceptance, and a new car. The word is so overused that people are beginning to use it sarcastically, typing it after describing some minor disaster like failing a test.
But the serious posts show what most people think being "blessed" is-it means having money, getting a job offer, falling in love, or recovering from sickness. Simple. Or is it?
Mary calls herself blessed-more than that, she says that all generations will say that about her. And yet look at her circumstances! Pregnant before marriage; at risk of losing her fiancé; soon to be a teen mother; young and female in a culture that valued men and older people. And as the years passed, she could add to that list: being a refugee in Egypt; hard work and a large family; probably losing her husband early; and seeing her own son put to death.
What could be blessed about that?
Mary says it: "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." What made her blessed is what God Himself had done for her-giving her Jesus, the Savior of the world.
And that is what makes us blessed, too, no matter what circumstances we are in. We have Jesus. We have our Savior, God's own Son, who was born for us, who died for us, who rose again for us. He has set us free from the power of evil and given us new life that will last forever. See how much He loves us!
THE PRAYER: Father, thank You for blessing us with Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"Blessed" is a trendy word these days. People use it on Twitter and Facebook...
No comments:
Post a Comment