“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭45‬ ‭CSB‬‬

It’s refreshing to see a feminine pronoun used in the context of God speaking to someone. It’s refreshing because it’s rare. Masculine pronouns are the norm. In the Bible. And just in society. Growing up as a girl, I got used to masculine pronouns being used as a generic catch-all.

In English, there is no gender-neutral singular pronoun for a human being. “It” is gender-neutral and singular but indicates a non-living object or perhaps an animal. If it is used when referring to a person, monstrous, or at least animalistic, properties are implied.

Then we have “they” which is fine for humans and is gender-neutral but isn’t singular, which makes its use confusing and awkward when people try to use it in place of he or she.

So we are stuck with instructions like, “Each student should put his test in the basket when completed.” I understood that all the girls in my class were also to put our tests in the basket.

Or news stories like, “An unknown perpetrator is sought for his acts of vandalism and violence.” I’ve always understood that the police are probably including women in their search despite the way the story is worded.

I was trained to understand that sometimes, “he” applies to me as much as it applies to any boy or man.

So I assumed this was true for the Bible too. Masculine pronouns are almost always used as well as “men” and “brothers.” And I understood this to include me.

But some people tried to say tell me that isn’t always true. They said some of God’s promises only apply to men. How am I supposed to know which “he” includes me and which doesn’t?

I believe all of God’s love and promises apply to me even though I go by “she.” But it sure is refreshing to see in today’s verse that God clearly does speak directly to women. And He fulfills those promises just as faithfully.

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me and for including me in your kingdom. I am a sinner in need of your salvation which I eagerly accept. I’m so grateful for your word that teaches me about your love. Thank you for revealing yourself to me there.