Elizabeth McDavid Jones - Blessed Is She: Lessons in Living from Women of the Bible

Blessed Is She

Lessons in Living from Women of the Bible

Elizabeth McDavid Jones

To Joanne Ullman Huggins, Elaine Carson, and Beth Everett

Their lives blessed many, especially me

Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.

Luke 1:45, NIV

Contents

Foreword

God is alive and well and speaks to His people today. He does this primarily through His living Word, the Bible. The goal for Blessed is She is to show todays women that God is speaking to us.

Blessed Is She is a book meant to lead women to the Bible, to be an aid in helping us understand how to read and study Gods Word for ourselves, to apply it to our lives and to grow our faith. My hope is that, through this book, every woman may come to know that:

the Bible is for her

she can read the Bible and understand it

the Bible is relevant and applicable to her life here and now

the women in the Bible were women just like her, who experienced the same heartaches and spiritual trials she experiences

the faith journey of every woman in the Bible is similar to her own

Regardless of our age, stage of life, or spiritual maturity, we have a lot to learn from the women of God we meet in Scripture. I sincerely hope this devotional Bible study will jumpstart you in your own discovery of Bible truths and life lessons, and even more important, the very heart of God for you. This study features a close-up look at Elizabeth, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary of Bethany, Martha, and Naomi. Use the devotional pages for personal growth in your own quiet time with God and individual Bible reflection. To delve deeper, look up the verses for yourself to see what Gods Word teaches about each Bible subject. But we also grow when were in community, seeking to understand the Word of God together. So for group discussion or reflection, use the For Deeper Thought questions at the back of the book, or zoom into a more in-depth group focus with the 8-week Elizabeth Bible study.

My desire for this book is that every reader may come away with the sure knowledge that she is of great worth to God, and that God wants her to understand Who He is and what is His purpose for her life, through a deeper relationship with His Word.

Praying youll be blessed,

Liz

Elizabeth

Day 1

First Things First

Bible Subject: Continuing; Faithfulness

Todays Reading: Luke 1: 6-7

Todays Verse: Both [Zechariah and Elizabeth] were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lords commandments and regulations blamelessly. Luke 1:6 (NIV)

Todays Lesson: Elizabeth continued to do everything she knew God wanted her to do.

Firsts are important in the lives of women: our first love, our first job, the birth of our first child. In the Bible, firsts are important, too. The first-born son received special privileges (Deut. 21:17). The Bible calls Jesus the First and the Last (Rev. 1:11). God raised Jesus from the dead on the first day of the week (John 20:1).

As we study the Bible, the first thing were told about a person can give us insight into what the Holy Spirit wants to emphasize about that person. So whats the first thing we learn about Elizabeth? She and her husband were right with God. They knew the Word of God, and they lived it out in their lives.

But they still had no children.

Elizabeth was a godly womanan older, godly woman. Spiritually, shed done everything right. Yet the years had slipped by, and God had not blessed her with the desire of her hearta baby.

Sometimes our lives are like Elizabeths. We do everything we know God wants us to do. Yet the greatest desire of our heart eludes us: a husband, a baby, a career, a ministry. Year after year after year.

We cant help getting discouraged. We cant help wondering: what am I doing wrong? Why does God bless everyone else with what I want so much, but not me?

Thats when we have to do what Elizabeth did: she just kept on doing what she knew was right. The Bible calls it continuing. 2 Timothy 3:14 says: As for you, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of

When we continue in the Lord, doing whats right, even when were discouraged, were being obedient to Gods Word. Were being faithful. And God always rewards faithfulness. Always.

Prayer: God, help me to continue being faithful to do what Your Word says, even when I feel discouraged.

[All Scripture quotations are in NIV unless otherwise noted]

Day 1

For more understanding:

To learn more about the importance of firsts in the Bible, you can read:

To learn more about continuing in the Lord, you can read:

To learn more about how God rewards faithfulness, you can read:

Day 2

Gods Fringe Benefits

Bible Subject: Trusting God, Gods Goodness

Todays Reading: Luke 1: 5-7

Todays Verse: But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years. Luke 1:7 (NIV)

Todays Lesson: Elizabeth kept trusting in Gods goodness.

Growing older is harder than ever for women in todays beauty-oriented culture. As the ravages of time creep up on our physical bodies, a glance in the mirror can be a depressing experience. Our looks fade, our waistlines expand, our health and fitness decline. Its a rude awakening to realize that youre on the other side of middle-age.

But when it dawns on you that the greatest dream of your youth, that certain thing that youve hoped for all of your life, just isnt going to happen to you, that can be the bitterest pill of all to swallow.

This is what Elizabeth was facing. With every passing year, Elizabeths dream of having a child seemed farther and farther out of reach. Now she was old. Perhaps she was already past menopause. How her heart must have ached knowing that shed never hold her own baby in her arms.

Yet Elizabeth never stopped trusting God. She kept believing in Gods goodness to her, whether or not He granted her prayer for a child. Elizabeth knew that the benefits of serving God far outweighed that of any personal dream she had. She knew that only through God could the yearnings of her heart truly be satisfied.

As the wife of a priest, Elizabeth would have been familiar with Psalm 103:2-5: Praise the Lord O my soul, and forget not all of His benefitswho satisfies your necessity and desire, at your personal age and situation, with good, so that your youth, renewed, is like the eaglesstrong, overcoming, soaring! (Amplified Bible)

How encouraging are these words when we, at any age, find ourselves in difficult and seemingly hopeless circumstances. God satisfies us with good, no matter where we are in life. May we never forget the benefits of belonging to Him!