Pause
Advent joy — the birthright of one who believes.
The Messiah has come, and He comes to us again today in our lonely angst.
Uncommon gladness can become a familiar friend.
Sink deeply into the soft silence.
Savor the miracle.
Ponder
“And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb...
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment
of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’”
Prefer to listen? Take a quiet moment and press play below.
There are people like Elizabeth in each of our lives — those unsung heroes who walk quietly and faithfully before God. They are the ones we run to in both our struggles and our joys. Knowing they are there, ready to offer just what we need when we come to them, is like an old familiar song playing gently in the back of our minds.
What made Elizabeth the kind of person Mary would run to, traveling far just to spend time with her? Elizabeth knew disappointment well. Month after month. Year after year. Decade after decade. She lived in the tension between profound desire and seemingly unanswered prayer — longing for a child in a culture where barrenness carried deep shame.
Now, pregnant in her old age, Elizabeth was content to stay hidden — cherishing the wonder of her condition and waiting with quiet faith for the promised Messiah. She never gave up on the hope that she would see him one day.
When the newly pregnant Mary arrived, having traveled some distance, joy flooded Elizabeth's heart as her baby leapt in her womb. A promise fulfilled. Gladness surely filled the hours as the two women shared their hopes and struggles, praying together as they prepared for the mysterious call ahead.
What a sacred space that must have been.
On these days before Christmas, let us consider what it means to trust God’s promises — to walk before Him with honor, even when we cannot see His hand.
May the joy that flooded Elizabeth’s heart that day long ago fill our own as we anticipate Christ coming into our moments and days. Joy is still His promise to all who believe.
Pray
Bring your longings honestly before the Lord. Are there places where joy feels far away? Ask God to breathe hope into those spaces and to help you trust His perfect timing. Whisper this prayer from Elizabeth’s heart: “The Lord has done this for me.”
Practice
Call, write, text, or send an email to someone who has been there for you spiritually in the past, and thank them for their faithfulness and witness in your life.
Joy quietly takes root in hearts that keep trusting when God seems silent.