Thought of the Day !!

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."
                                                              Luke 1:42-45 (NLT)

Three times Elizabeth tells Mary she or her baby is blessed.  But just what does this mean?  We thank God for our blessings.  We thank Him for the good things we’ve received and those good things going on in our lives.  We associate blessings with comfort and ease…with good times (and they certainly can be).

But Mary’s blessing had nothing to do with security or well-being.  As a matter of fact, hardships would continue to follow her because of her blessing.  She would flee for her and her baby's life to Egypt, have to worry about those plotting against her son and end up seeing him crucified like a common criminal. 

Her blessedness came not from an easy life, but from being a part of God’s plan.  She was blessed because God chose her, and because she believed that He would do what He said He would do.  She was blessed because she was chosen to bear the Messiah…the Savior of the world.

We can all live out our lives in relative ease, especially when compared to others living in slums all over the world.  But if we want to experience the true blessings of God we will seek our callings from God and then do just as Jesus taught his disciples to do.  We will “deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow.”

The world…and sadly…some preachers out there…teach that blessings come in security, fame, wealth and other things we can gain in this world.  But Jesus teaches us that blessed are not those who have it all, but those who are meek, humble, merciful, who mourn and who suffer for his sake.

In the love of Christ,
greg