Encouragement
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
The book of Luke begins with the story of Zecharias and Elizabeth who were blessed with a baby in the latter stages of their lives after a visit from the angel Gabriel. In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel appeared to the young teenage girl, Mary with a message that changed her life. This passage of Scripture is a familiar one to most of us, and it is frequently studied during this season of the year. However, today’s message is from the heart of a Father who wants you to know (or remember) that you are extremely blessed and highly favored. He loves you and wants to pour His presence into your life. He says to you today “Blessed are you among men. Blessed are you among women”. Hallelujah!
God wants His kids to enjoy and live in His blessing, and today we look at some keys to living in the blessing of God.
1) “A virgin betrothed to Joseph”. In Bible times, people were always identified by their tribe, family lineage or father’s calling. Exceptionally, we see in this instance that Mary was referred to simply as a “virgin” and not identified by her family name or tribe. This was the traditional word used for any unmarried young girl at the time, but it denotes purity and consecration. Mary was a teenage girl whose heart belonged to God. This is what our Father seeks from us more than anything else. He looks to see if we have given ourselves wholly to Him. He seeks a bride who keeps herself for Him and Him alone and does not flirt with the ways (and the spirits) of the world. Once we experience the forgiveness of sins and receive Jesus as Lord, the past is truly wiped away and forgotten. God removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and calls us to live in His love and holiness. Too many believers today receive God’s grace and forgiveness, but compromise on the love and holiness, and still expect His blessing to follow them. Let us open our hearts to the searchlight of the Holy Spirit, as we allow Him to reveal to us areas that need to be brought under the Lordship of our King. Jesus the Bridegroom is looking for a virgin Bride, and He wants His Bride to walk in His blessing!
2) Rejoice in the knowledge that you are favored. Many believers live their whole lives never knowing how loved and cherished they are by our heavenly Father. Many people even live in the anticipation of punishment, or with a feeling that God is displeased or angry with them, because they may not have experienced the forgiving love of Daddy God through the blood of Jesus. His love is for us all, and His favor is His delight in those who live for Him. It is the free access we have to His presence. Today, the Holy Spirit would have you know that you are fully loved, fully forgiven, and fully accepted. Rejoice - the Father’s favor is upon you and you can come to Him any time!
3) The Lord is with you. Mary was an innocent young girl going about her normal chores and living her life in the town of Nazareth. An angel was probably the last person she expected to see that day as she (maybe!) hummed a little tune and mended her clothes in her room. Although she loved the Lord and lived a prayerful life, maybe she never had the revelation of His real presence with her. Now suddenly there was an angel standing in front of her, proof that Heaven was very much aware of her and involved in her life. Today the Father wants us to know that He is surely with us, and that He has commissioned angels to help and protect each of us as we live each day on planet earth. You may have been feeling alone and isolated from the crowd, but Abba is reminding you that He never left you for a moment. He promised He would be with you always, and He has kept His word! He is holding you in His hands. He is always by your side. Ask Him today for divine revelation and supernatural vision, as you welcome the presence of angels in your home and in your life. Ask Him for that tangible evidence of is presence with you. God is with you, and heaven is in your home!
4) Know and believe that you are blessed. When the angel Gabriel said to Mary that she was blessed among women, she probably looked around to see who the angel was speaking to! Walking in the blessing of God begins with our mindset, and many people do not see much of Heaven’s blessing in their lives because they just don’t believe they are blessed or think of themselves as “blessed”. When Gabriel told Mary she was blessed, Mary believed and received these words. She opened her heart and mind to everything Abba wanted for her and she received it all! Today the Holy Spirit would have you know that you are extremely blessed! Jesus gave His life to set you free. Satan wants to drag you down, but Jesus came to give you a life that is abundantly filled with all His awesomeness (John 10:10). His blood has opened the way to every good and perfect gift the Father wants you to have. All the goodness of heaven is yours if you will believe and receive! This is Truth: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Daddy wants to bless you and has blessed you with everything you could ever need (Ephesians 1:3). It is time to look up (and not down at your circumstances) and reach for it!
So rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you and He will never leave you nor forsake you! Live in the daily expectation of His favor, His blessing, His love upon your life. It is what He wants to pour out upon you in abundance, because you are His very precious and chosen child. I pray this day that you will begin to see just how much Abba loves you and has for you, and that you will begin to walk into the fulfillment of all the Kingdom promises which are yours in Jesus. You are blessed. You are blessed. You are blessed, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Minoli Haththotuwa, 26 November 2012 www.risingonwings.org
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