Heroes of the Bible: Remaining Faithful Through Your Later Years Prøve

Today’s Hero of the Bible: Elizabeth Mary was facing a very demanding time. She was quite young and she was expecting a child by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord understood her dilemma and Gabriel told her about her elderly relative, Elizabeth, being pregnant. Mary went straight off to visit her. When she arrived at the house, there was this marvelous incident that is so full of encouragement for us all. Three wonderful things happened. First, the six-month-old fetus in Elizabeth's womb responded to the presence of Mary and the recently conceived child in her womb, by leaping for joy—an extraordinary reaction. Then second, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, brought the most profound words of encouragement to the young mother, directing her thoughts to the faithfulness of God. Third, Mary responded with the most delightful words of praise to God, which we call the Magnificat. They were two very unusual mothers—an old lady beyond childbearing age, and a young woman who was still a virgin. Both proved what Gabriel had said: “nothing is impossible with God.” And now they were encouraging and supporting each other. With God, there are no age barriers. It is such a lovely picture and one that should encourage us. This is also an example of a very important role for older people. Younger people need encouragement and help, and older people are ideally equipped to provide that. What is more, it is a role the Lord has prescribed for us, as today’s passages from Psalms illustrate. Being an encourager is a wonderful ministry. Let us think and pray today about how we might make an opportunity to get alongside someone younger than ourselves so that we might be an Elizabeth to them.