Daily devotional · December 12
The Joy of a Shared Blessing
“In those days Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, where she entered the home of Zechariah 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 fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For 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’s word to her will be fulfilled.””
After the angel's news, Mary hurries to visit her relative Elizabeth. Two women, one old and one young, both carrying surprising promises, meet in a doorway. Elizabeth's response is generous: she is not jealous or guarded; she celebrates. She calls Mary blessed and honors her trust in what God had said. The baby within her even leaps. Nothing in the scene is competitive. This is what friendship in faith looks like, people who recognize God's work in each other and say so out loud. Many of us hesitate to affirm others because we fear it will make us smaller. Elizabeth shows the opposite. Today, think of someone whose faithfulness has encouraged you, and tell them specifically what you see God doing in them. Better still, visit them, even briefly. Let your December include at least one doorway conversation where joy is passed from one heart to another.
Prayer
Father, make me quick to celebrate what You are doing in others. Amen.