Mary Visits Elizabeth

"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 favored, 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 fulfill his promises to her!

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home." Luke 1:39-45,56

When the angel visited Mary, the angel told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, advanced in age and barren is already with child by the power of God, six months in the family way.

Here, it narrates how Mary then visited her. And although it wasn't mentioned, we can presume that she wanted to come visit her cousin to rejoice with her, see how she can help during her pregnancy, ask her questions, exchange and compare notes on how it feels to be carrying a baby by God's power and really, also to confirm what the angel said was true. Wouldn't anyone?

And yes, it was true and Mary stayed with her cousin for three months and most probably until after Elizabeth's baby was born -- the one who was to grow up to be John the Baptist.

Now the problem with unbelievers and even new believers is that they are staunchly "to see is to believe", not believing even when they are face to face with the truth of Jesus Christ.

Now interestingly, when the baby John, still inside his mother's womb, first heard Mary's voice, he leapt inside his mom with joy -- the same joy which the Lord blessed us with when we first accept Him as our Savior and the same joy the Holy Spirit is keeping alive inside every believer.

And the same joy which sustains all those who believe and put their trust in Him.

Real believers know about this joy and others see it in them. Some are skeptical by it, some envious, some cannot put a finger on it. But this joy that comes from within and is not dependent on anything happening on the outside is evidence both for the believer and others who are able to notice them.

"The LORD strengthens and protects me; I trust in him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to him in gratitude." A psalm of David, Psalm 28:7