Great Plains Daily Devotional for 5/6/2021

Luke 1:39-57

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.

Maxims are powerful ways of expressing connections, meanings of tales in real life. I cherished the times we spent with my maternal grandmother Junior. She taught us abundant stories and principles of life through these various narratives. One outstanding adage which has stuck with me since childhood is “Birds of the same feather, flock together.” Truth be told, birds of the same species fly in one accord. My grandmother coached us to associate with people with whom we had similar interest, goals, and ambitions.  Education was one of my grandmother’s priorities, so she encouraged us to have friends who had scholastic ambitions in addition to spiritual alignment. She felt that these types of friends would be strong influenced us to and good encouragers. 
 
We celebrate Mothers’ Day focusing on the two heroine mothers: Mary and Elizabeth. Our scripture reading speaks to the divine assignments of these  mothers. The doctor Luke helps us understand the backgrounds of the two women. Elizabeth got her feathers of pregnancy at an advanced age. She experienced the major share of her blessings and miracles of carrying the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist. She spent six month in seclusion, alarmed by the heavenly surprise. Those who undermined her life were totally amazed after she birthed John the Baptist. Motherhood was wrapped with a lot of surprises even to the then barren Elizabeth. She was a hidden vessel of God who brought the best preacher, prayer warrior John the Baptist. 
 
Behind the scenes, Mary received the shock of her life when the angel Gabriel visited her and pronounced how favored she was by God. The Almighty God had chosen the younger Mary for a divine appointment to be the mother of Jesus. “Well, we pause a bit …” One would curiously wonder how this was to happen that a young girl would be promoted as the Mother God’s only Son. Remember our thoughts are not compared to God’s thoughts neither are our ways necessarily connected to God’s ways. He is God by himself. 

Most people would want to know more about the whys and the significance of such a strange arrangement. I would. Of course, Mary inquired more about her perplexing motherhood undertaking and was notified that the power of God was to transcend her.  The Holy Spirit was inhabiting in her so that God’s purposes on earth may be fulfilled through her. That is so powerful to fathom. The angel Gabriel assured Mary that all things were possible with God. Meaning that mothers can carry their God given responsibilities through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus even said when the Holy Spirit comes, he would reveal all truths about everything.
 
Luke brilliantly tells us that, ^39 “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.”   The two birds with the same feathers linked in their pregnancies and the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped during the greeting. This was a divine assurance, a revelation of the vitality of the children to be born, a forerunner John the Baptist and our only Savior Jesus Christ greeted each other. Whom do you associate with as a mother? We learn something about Elizabeth and Mary. Motherhood calls for good acquaintances to accomplish the God given obligations.  
 
God is still in the business of visiting women around the world to promote his Kingdom. Mothers of various age groups remain on duty to raise mighty generations in this world. The Marys of our day hurry in haste seeking wisdom to the mothers who have the wisdom, knowledge, patience, self-control, gentleness, kindness, love, understanding, and divine skills in parenting children of this generation. Some immigrant mothers, younger mothers, older mothers have to flock with experienced mothers through prayer and role molding from their Elizabeth’s in our various cultures. Remember, your mothering is not in vain. It is a God given role. Mary and Elizabeth pleased God by raising two great men, Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and John the Baptist, the powerful wilderness preacher. Mothers we have to flock under the feathers of the Holy Spirit like Mary and Elizabeth performed in their parenting job. Happy Mothers’ Day!

Prayer for Reflection

Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8