BY ZOE DAVISON
Luke 1- Elizabeth and Mary
I am continually surprised at how God orchestrated this order of events for these women.
We all need mentors who guide us to our calling and purpose in God. Ruth had Naomi, Esther had Hegai & Mordecai, Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and the list is endless really. All of these women had someone God used in their lives to impart something that they would need.
Looking at the two cousins we can see Elizabeth went through so much before she finally got her miracle. She had been faithful and righteous. She prayed for a child until it was humanly impossible but never stopped praying and never complained. She loved praising God even in her darkest moments. She clearly mentions the shame she felt at not being able to conceive and even after she does conceive she refuses to go anywhere for the first few months of the pregnancy because of the way people were going to talk about her at her age (People gossiped even in bible days!). In short, she had learnt to live under persecution, patience and long suffering. She trusted God fully and focused on Him and the promise he had given her. All these things I believe God allowed her to experience so she could speak to a special young lady and encourage her.
See, Mary the mother of Jesus Christ was going to go through persecution, shame ,a possible break-up, possible disownment, and question marks about her baby for the rest of her life and multiple problems that her older cousin had gone through and God sends her right to her doorstep to stay for 3 months. They both had miracle children with intertwined futures and had to do their best in nurturing them...but one had experience and the other did not.
Elizabeth inspired praise in Mary so much so that all they could do at their first meeting is glorify God. Talk about God's grace and His love and the plan for Salvation that He had. I can imagine what they talked about for 3 months.
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and so right on the first day she starts ministering encouragement into Mary. Knowing Mary had never before been pregnant she had someone to watch and ask questions and share her thoughts with and what God had told her. No one knew more about holding on to a promise than Elizabeth. Mary spent the first 3 months of her pregnancy in great care, she left the place full of faith and clarity that indeed God would take care of everything, including her fiancée who would probably think she was crazy.
We don't hear of Mary going to any other person after this.. Looking at Mary's life we can see she became a strong Woman, filled with the Holy Spirit and knew the exact time that Jesus would do His first miracle. She became a pillar for our Lord through everything she had learnt and an amazing mother. God had done exactly what he wanted to do in this mentoring stage.
Many of us ladies/ woman need people to mentor us. We need some who can answer the questions we have. We need someone to follow everywhere, someone we can “stay” with, so a great time to learn. Imagine how many bad experiences we would have avoided if we had someone warn us and direct us in the right direction. I believe some things are not to be experienced because someone already has. Again, how much potential is locked up in us, just because we have no one helping us realised it? There are always two sides to a coin, right? How many people have been placed under our care, to mentor and disciple? Are we doing just that? God needs a woman who is able to build up another woman to enhance His kingdom. He is using us to help younger women who may be experiencing something that we have been through already. Open your heart and eye. The harvest is full but the laborers are few. Rise up woman of God!
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