Elkan's Word For Today

HAIL MARY (Part 4)

Greetings Brethren,

So far, we have seen the subtle but essential attributes that Mary, the only one to whom the title “Godmother” has a literal meaning, had that made God consider her worthy of such a huge task. Now we’ll go further to see the attributes which God saw in her to trust that she’d be able to see the assignment through.

#4-EMOTIONAL STABILITY

“But Mary KEPT ALL THESE THINGS, and pondered [them] in her heart”.

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother ... yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also”, (Lk 2:19,34,35).

Mary may have been one ‘sweet, little girl’, but she was not the type to go down under strain.

It’s always important for us to remember that this was a REAL girl living in a REAL word. The unique circumstances surrounding her pregnancy would only have become public knowledge AFTER Jesus’s ascension. So for a long time, (if not all her life), Mary had to endure the image that she got pregnant outside of wedlock. Her friends would deride her as a rank hypocrite, and older women would wag their heads whenever she passed by.

“But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

She never tried to defend herself, she handled the great changes in her life pretty maturely. She didn’t run to her mother or her neighbours to cry out her tale of wonders (woes?); she didn’t even tell Joseph about it. Only Elizabeth was told, and that was by instruction.

Brothers and Sisters, doing God’s work will have some consequences. You won’t always be able to defend your actions, or answer back at critics. A group of persons may gang up against you, someone may make a scathing remark about your work, or people may start calling you names. It doesn’t matter, as long as you’re doing what God asked you to do, keep doing it.

They may attack you, even if what you’re doing is for their own benefit, don’t fret, “Wisdom is justified by all her children. (Lk 7:35).

Mary was strong enough to handle it all, even physically.

She gave birth, while still a physical virgin, all by herself except for an inexperienced carpenter standing by her side.

If you think that was hard, think about what she had to go through at the Crucifixion, (remember “Passion of the Christ” movie?). The absolute viciousness and torture on Jesus’s body would have ruptured the heart of any onlooker. But it wasn’t just her saviour that was been brutalised there, that was also her Baby. (Not many persons can even handle this sort of duality).

Nevertheless, she knew it was all for a reason. She took the pain as it was, and 3 days later, all her life’s work was justified.

AMEN

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus Name.

GREG ELKAN