January 4 Devotion - Blessed is She Who Believed

Now Maryam* arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Maryam, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

 * Jesus spoke Aramaic. In Aramaic His mother’s name is Maryam.

Luke 1:39-45

Why did Maryam go to visit Elizabeth?  A lesson that we can learn could be as follows:  It is very beneficial for those of us that grace has begun in their souls, and Christ is in the forming there, to consult those who are in the same condition, that they may communicate experiences one to another; Christian to Christian.

The welcome which Elizabeth, by the Spirit of prophecy, gave to Maryam, the mother of our Lord; was not as to a common friend making a common visit, but as to one of whom the Messiah was to be born.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself and to meditate on it:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and inseparable love. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. Lord, You blessed Maryam, the Mother of Jesus, and did great things for her. I stand in awe and respect of You and receive Your mercy. Help me Lord to learn from the mother of our Lord to be humble and get rid of all pride within me. Lord I join the blessed Mother of our Lord Jesus in saying: ‘My soul magnifies You God and my spirit rejoices in my Saviour’. Teach me to hear Your voice God and to believe in the fulfillment of the things which I will hear from You. Heavenly Father, let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

وَفِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ، قَامَتْ مَرْيَمُ وَذَهَبَتْ مُسْرِعَةً إِلَى الْجِبَالِ، قَاصِدَةً إِلَى مَدِينَةٍ مِنْ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا.  

 ⁴⁰ فَدَخَلَتْ بَيْتَ زَكَرِيَّا وَسَلَّمَتْ عَلَى أَلِيصَابَاتَ.

 ⁴¹ وَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ أَلِيصَابَاتُ سَلاَمَ مَرْيَمَ، قَفَزَ الْجَنِينُ دَاخِلَ بَطْنِهَا. وَامْتَلَأَتْ أَلِيصَابَاتُ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ،

 ⁴² وَهَتَفَتْ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ قَائِلَةٍ: «مُبَارَكَةٌ أَنْتِ بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ! وَمُبَارَكَةٌ ثَمَرَةُ بَطْنِكِ!

 ⁴³ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ لِي هَذَا: أَنْ تَأْتِيَ إِلَيَّ أُمُّ رَبِّي؟

 ⁴⁴ فَإِنَّهُ مَا إِنْ وَقَعَ صَوْتُ سَلاَمِكِ فِي أُذُنَيَّ حَتَّى قَفَزَ الْجَنِينُ ابْتِهَاجاً فِي بَطْنِي:

 ⁴⁵ فَطُوبَى لِلَّتِي آمَنَتْ أَنَّهُ سَيَتِمُّ مَا قِيلَ لَهَا مِنْ قِبَلِ الرَّبِّ! »