“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!” (Luke 1 v 39-45)
See the timeline: “After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion”v24. “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee” v26. “Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home” v56.
Mary found someone who was also a carrier.
Mary had been told Elizabeth had also received a miracle promise and she only had 3 months left of her own pregnancy. Do you have someone who is ahead of you in the faith path? Be with them.
When carrying His presence or His promise in your life don’t sit with the mockers. Don’t fellowship with the bitter and the cynical they will abort your dream. Wisdom is knowing who to leave behind.
Mary chooses Elizabeth before Joseph. She leaves her future husband to God.
Mary was focused.
The translators use the words hurried and in haste she travelled to Elizabeth. She is eager and enthusiastic and in her excitement I can visualise her running the 100 mile journey to Judea! Less haste more speed is common sense but not here. When you are waiting for your miracle and when you are carrying His promise you cannot afford the luxury of taking it easy. You have to be focused continually. You have to become fanatical and everything else falls into insignificance. Other responsibilities take a back-seat to what you know you have to do. You have a ‘baby’ inside you and everything surrenders to this. What you have to do and where you have to go must happen.
Mary was available for God to use her.
The presence of Jesus in Mary moved the presence of John in Elizabeth and she also was filled with the Holy Spirit. His presence and the promise you are carrying can powerfully impact the miracles that are laying inside others and can bring an encounter of the Holy Spirit to them.
Mary understands the power of blessing
Elizabeth blesses Mary’s miracle. Filled with the Spirit she prophecies about ‘my Lord’. Mary receives her first confirmation of what Gabriel had said to her. To bless is to protect the miracle in another person’s life. How many have lost their dreams through someone’s words!
If today you have experienced a fresh experience of His presence in your life or maybe you are carrying a promise of God for a situation, for you or for others: Choose carefully who you walk with, be focused, be available and hold on to words of blessing for your life.
Missions Paul 