“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!” —Luke 1:45
Elizabeth’s song—the Beatitude—is a touching, yet powerful, testament to the vital importance of having fellowship with like-minded believers. We’re not intended to be self-sufficient. We need to spend time with people who have a thriving relationship with God if we expect to be strong in our faith and strengthen them in theirs.
Mary needed this blessing that Elizabeth spoke over her. She needed what the Spirit was saying to her through her dear friend and older cousin.
Here’s why I’m so sure of it. The word translated “blessed” in Luke 1:45 is the Greek word makarios, meaning, “one whom God makes fully satisfied”— not because of favorable circumstances, but because God Himself provides the satisfaction. To be makarios is to be fully content, even in situations that are less than ideal, solely because God lives in us through Christ.
It’s the state of being saved, in other words. No matter what we’re called to endure as Christians, we have all we need . . . because we have Jesus.
Make it Personal
How can you initiate a greater depth of relationship with other believers?