Blessed

Luke 11:27-28

This morning was very encouraging and yet very convicting of how loving our Father in heaven is and how much He desires to engage us as we go about our day.  Thursday is a special day, in that most Thursday mornings at 6:30 a.m. Paul and I meet to share and look into the Manufacturer’s handbook on living life on planet earth.  It is about an 18-mile drive for me into New Braunfels and it gives me time to awake and pray before arriving, and most days to listen to the morning news, but this morning I was listening to praise music and praying.  It seemed the Lord put in my heart to tell him it would be alright if He wanted someone else to be part of our time, and I did so on that drive in.

We got our coffee and sat down and Paul was checking how well I was doing on putting Scripture to memory, when a young man walked over and ask, are those Bibles and what are you studying?   We told him the “Mind of Christ” and introduced ourselves, his name was Justin, and we had the best time-sharing with him, and he with us.  Justin is a seeker, he wants to do great things for God, but is struggling and by his own testimony has no friends and was blown away when we ask if he would like to meet with us on Thursdays.  Paul and I were able to share God’s love for him and I was so encouraged that God had given me an understanding of this encounter before it happen.

So as doctor Luke tells us about the woman in the crowd who spoke to Jesus after Jesus had warned the crowd about trying to clean up their lives without bowing their knee and will to His control and authority.  These were her words; “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”  And as a recovering Baptist who for years did not have a good understanding of Jesus’ mothers special role, and of the Holy Spirit, simply because it was not dealt with correctly by many of the protestant faiths at that time.  This is what the Holy Spirit said through Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  (Luke 1:45)

Mary is not God, so I would never pray to her, but she is very special, in that this young girl was chosen to be the virgin that the Holy Spirit would put the seed of Christ into and as the angel states, she is blessed among women.  She and Joseph parented Jesus and trained Him as a child in the ways of His Father in heaven, never lose sight of this, for they found great favor with God.

The way Jesus responded to the woman in the crowd may come as a shock to some, it was not harsh but it was straight forward, it’s not the mother you are to bless, but you are to hear the word of God and keep it.  These are Jesus’ words: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 

This morning, I shared with Justin he was welcome to meet with us but to understand we did not have it all together, in that often to our shame we did not apply what we had heard, but the desire of our heart is to finish strong.  Paul and I are taking to heart Psalm 119:11, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  My prayer for each of you seekers or followers of Christ, is that you also would stockpile the word of God in your heart, and keep it, let’s change the world, one Justin at a time.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice