Holy Boldness

Luke tells us that Mary stayed at Elizabeth’s home for three months. This fellowship was assuredly vital to Mary at the most vulner able time of her pregnancy. No doubt they continued to speak encour agement and strength to each other and enjoyed a profound fellowship over their shared experience. When a person first conceives a work of God, it is always helpful, perhaps imperative, to find a companion with whom to share the joy and the struggle. The enemy will try to get God’s people to abort what He is doing inside of them. That is why Jesus warned His followers not to “cast pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6) Most people are incapable of understanding the intimate work of the Spirit inside a person. Confirm ing the word inside you through the scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and true fellowship is vital to bringing the seed to full term. While Mary was away from home and living safely with her un derstanding and sympathetic cousin, things must have been wonderfully encouraging. Two supernaturally pregnant women were sharing the word and prophetic encouragements with each other for three months creating a safe and comfortable harbor for their babies to grow. But finally, the time came when Mary had to go home and face inevitable questions. It is in times like this that one must trust one’s reputation to God. That is what Mary did. This also is the response of someone who walks in the fear of the Lord. Mary entrusted the situation into God’s hands. Elizabeth called Mary the most honored among women, but in the moment of discovery, there would have been no community celebration or blessing for Mary. There would have only been shame with no words of explanation that would make any sense. Imagine coming home three months pregnant. There is no indication that Mary let people know why she went to see her cousin. Perhaps she told her family that she wanted to go and serve Elizabeth in the last days of her pregnancy. That would have been a legitimate reason. Whether she did or didn’t according to the Gospel of Matthew, at some point the inevitable happened, namely, Mary “was found to be with child…” (Matthew 1:18). This insinuates not an announcement but a discovery. Mary was found out. Furthermore, Joseph likely heard about it second hand. This was a scandal of immense proportion, heightened Trusting our Reputations to God

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