A Portrait of Elizabeth, Part 5

Series: A Portrait of Elizabeth

Leslie Basham: How are your words affecting those around you? Are they driving people away or drawing them closer to you and to God? It's Friday, April 12; and you're listening to Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss.

A seed doesn't account for much when you hold it tightly in your hand; but when you plant it, there's no telling how far it can grow. The same goes for our words. Today on Revive Our Hearts, Nancy will be telling us about a remarkable woman named Elizabeth who invested in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Let's join Nancy now as she tells us more about it.

Nancy DeMoss: We've been looking all this week at a remarkable woman in the New Testament. Her name is Elizabeth. She is now expecting the child to be born in her old age, who will be John the Baptist--the one who will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus. When we left Elizabeth yesterday, she had a visitor in her home--the younger woman, her relative Mary--who had also been told that she was going to have a child, Mary of Nazareth.

I was wondering this morning what it is that they talked about during those three months that the younger woman was in the older woman's home. It occurred to me, though the Scripture doesn't tell us, that perhaps this was really a picture of an older woman teaching a younger woman the ways of God. That's the way discipleship is to take place for us as women.

What was Elizabeth teaching Mary? I wonder if she wasn't teaching her to love her husband, how to love her children. Remember Mary was a young, engaged woman. She'd never had a husband; she'd never had children. She was teaching her perhaps to be discreet, to be chaste, to be a keeper at home, how to live in such a way--as Titus 2 says--that the Word of God would not be blasphemed through her life.

Luke 1:41 tells us that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary--as Mary came to her home--that the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 67 tells us that also the father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit. Here's a dad and a mom, a husband and a wife, who are filled with the Holy Spirit. This will make an incredible difference in your marriage and in your parenting and in your walk with God in whatever season of life--when you learn to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

I remember a friend saying to me years ago, "You know, when it comes to this stuff of marriage and parenting--you can read all the books, you can go to all the seminars and conferences--or you can get filled with the Holy Spirit." That doesn't mean that the books and conferences and the seminars can't be helpful; but you can fill your mind with all those methods, all those lists, all those approaches and principles--or you can get filled with the Holy Spirit who will, in the course of life, use the Word of God to show you how to live the Christian life as a wife and as a mother.

Here's a woman who was controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. It affected the way that she talked. I love the progression here. It says in verse 41, "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit;" and in verse 42, "Then she spoke." You know what my problem is a lot of times in life? I speak before I'm conscious of the Holy Spirit giving me direction as to what to speak. If you are a child of God, God has placed His Holy Spirit within you to lead you, to tell you what to say, to direct your words. How important it is as women that we learn to let our mouths, our tongues, be guided and directed by the Holy Spirit of God.

Elizabeth goes on to speak words of blessing. She affirms Mary in her childbearing. She encourages Mary to believe God for the impossible. Her words are used by God to stimulate faith in Mary's heart and to banish any fear that may have been there. As a result, Mary responds in praise and thanksgiving and worship. How I thank the Lord for older women that He has used in my life who were filled the Holy Spirit in what they spoke, and how God used their words to speak faith and peace and hope to my own heart.

Not too long ago I went to one of those older women who's been something of a mentor to me. I flew to another city; and I said, having prearranged this, "I'd like to just spend a day with you--not any particular agenda or purpose. I just want to get around your life." And God used that older woman, who's been an important part of my life for so many years. On that day God used her in a special way to speak words of truth and blessing and encouragement into my heart. My goal is--that when I'm with others in my family, in my workplace, in the places where God has me--that when I open my mouth to speak, it will be with the fullness and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Your words, by the way, can do for your husband and for your children what Elizabeth's words did for Mary. We know it's true, don't we, that death and life are in the power of the tongue. We can speak words that are destructive and cutting and harsh and quick-tempered--or we can get filled with Spirit of God, and let Him fill our mouths with words that are gracious and life-giving and healing.

We see in verse 57 that Elizabeth's time came to be delivered and she brought forth a son. God's purpose for her life was fulfilled as she gave birth to this son. We see again a woman who esteemed highly what God esteemed; and that is childbearing, childrearing, and motherhood.

Verse 58 tells us that when her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. Now her reproach has been turned to rejoicing! When God shows mercy in your life, there will be joy, not only in your own heart but also among God's people.

In verse 59 we learn that on the eighth day, as the Jewish law prescribed, they came to circumcise the child. They were going to call him by the name of his father, Zechariah, as the custom would have been. But his mother answered--now, why did she answer? Because Zechariah couldn't talk. Remember, for all these months, he had not been able to talk. She spoke up and she said, "No, his name will called John."

That says to me that here is a woman who was one in heart with her husband. She had not heard for herself the angel say that the child's name will be John; but she trusted God to lead through her husband and was supportive in helping to fulfill his directives.

When I think about Elizabeth's role in that moment, I think about my own mother, who in so many ways as we were growing up, was used by God to help fulfill the directives that God gave to my dad--and to say, "We are one in this." The standards for our family--we will not be divided. She was supportive in helping to fulfill what God put on my dad's heart.

We see this newborn child--John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah--being dedicated to the Lord not only as a young child but also as he grew. We come to the end of the chapter, "So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel" (v. 80). We see from this time on that Elizabeth had to give up her child, had to give up her son, for God's purposes. All her life she had had to be giving up herself for God's purposes; and now the most precious gift she'd ever received from God, she had to yield back to God for His purposes.

It's interesting that Elizabeth, as far as I know, is never mentioned again in the Bible. What became of her? What happened to her? We don't know, but it doesn't matter. Her goal in life was to point people to God--for God's purposes to be fulfilled. She had fulfilled her purpose by giving birth to this son, who was then given back to God. Remember, it's not about us; it's all about Him. This is the heart attitude of those that God has used throughout history to make Jesus known to our world.

I think of the apostle Paul saying in Acts 20:24, "None of these things move me." The context here--he's saying, "I'm going to experience persecution in every city I go to. God has told me that." But he said, "None of these things move me; neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus--to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God."

What is Paul saying? "Persecution? I wouldn't choose it, but I embrace it. Why? Because all that matters to me is that the Gospel get out, that God be pleased. My life? I'm dispensable. What happens to me doesn't really matter because it's not about me. It's all about God; it's all about His redemptive purposes in this world. It's all about His plan being fulfilled--and whatever part God wants me to have in that plan, I'll say, 'Yes, Lord. Take my life if that'll bring greater glory to God.' If the gospel will get out in a greater way because I've lost my life, then I give it up."

What did Elizabeth say in effect? "Here's my son; take him. Use him for Your purposes." We don't see this woman standing in the way because her emotions wanted her child to be with her at home or standing in the way because she didn't want him to preach so hard (in a way) that would ultimately cost him his life. She yielded. She surrendered--gave him up to the Lord and said, "Lord, it's all about Your kingdom and Your will being done here on earth. Whatever happens to me doesn't really matter."

Leslie Basham: That's Nancy DeMoss reminding us to rejoice in the plan God has for us. In just a minute Nancy will return to lead us in prayer.

Has listening to Nancy's teaching this week made you think more deeply about God's unique plan for you and the special joy that's waiting just behind your seemingly difficult circumstances? Why don't you write us and tell us your story. Just address your letter to Revive Our Hearts.

You know, it won't be long before Mother's Day is here. That's why we'd like to tell you about a wonderful book by Barbara Rainey and her daughter, Ashley Escue, called A Mother's Legacy. This book is filled from cover to cover with loving tributes from daughters to their moms. It's available for a suggested donation of $13. Give us a call at 1-800-569-5959.

In conjunction with that we'd also like to tell you about a wonderful opportunity you have to honor your mother in a unique way. All this week, you can call our special toll-free number, 1-888-387-8682 and leave a verbal tribute to your mom. If your tribute is selected, we'll air it on one of our upcoming broadcasts.

What does it mean to be a virtuous woman? Find out next week on Revive Our Hearts. Now, here's Nancy.

Nancy DeMoss: Father, Your purposes are so great and so much higher than anything we can understand. Thank You for Your Word that gives us perspective--and puts our lives back into perspective. I pray that You'll make us women who say, "It's not about me; it's all about You. It's all about Your purposes and Your will being done here on this earth." Lord, would you use us as we surrender ourselves to Your will and Your calling in our lives. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Revive Our Hearts with Nancy DeMoss is a ministry partnership of Life Action Ministries.

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