"Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!" (Luke 1:45)
Hello and welcome to my blog! I’m so glad you’re here today. Today, I’m going to explore what it means to trust God through the story of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-56). Trust is something we all wrestle with at different points in life. It’s easy to trust when everything is going well. But what about those moments when life feels uncertain? What about when we’re faced with situations that are completely out of our control?
The Journey to Trust
When we talk about coming to a place of trust, it’s not just a simple decision we make once. It’s a journey or process. It’s a process where someone transitions from uncertainty, doubt, or hesitation to feeling secure. They grow confident in their trust toward someone, something, or even themselves. It often implies personal growth and vulnerability.
For Christians, trust is the cornerstone of our faith. “Coming to a place of trust” involves more than trusting people or circumstances. It’s about growing in our trust in God. It also means trusting His plan for our lives.
A Christmas Reflection—Mary and Elizabeth
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the greatest gift God has ever given to humanity. But beyond the manger and the starry night, there’s a deeper journey of faith. We are all called to take this journey. It is marked by trust in God and His promises. Trust is not just a simple belief in others. It’s about placing our full confidence in God’s love and faithfulness. This is especially important when life’s circumstances seem uncertain. This journey of trust is one of surrender, healing, and growth. Ultimately, it leads us to a stronger, more intimate relationship with our Creator. This season of Advent invites us to reflect on this journey of trust. We follow the example of Mary and Elizabeth. These two women, despite doubts and fears, found themselves in the loving embrace of God’s promises.
Embracing the Blessing
Mary holds a pivotal role as the mother of Jesus Christ. She served as the vessel through which He entered the world. A descendant of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David (Luke 1:32; Psalms 132:11). Mary was also related to Elizabeth, who was from the priestly lineage of Aaron through marriage (Luke 1:36). Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a righteous man from the house of David. Mary lived in Nazareth, Galilee. Before Mary began her extraordinary journey, she received a divine proclamation from the angel Gabriel. This proclamation was about her life and purpose (Luke 1:26-38). This announcement set the stage for her extraordinary role in God’s plan.
When Mary received the news from the angel that she would conceive the Saviour of the world. She had to trust in God’s plan, even though it defied all earthly logic. In that moment, she humbly accepted her role in God’s grand narrative. With faith, she declared, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). By proclaiming this blessing, she welcomed the Spirit of God and His authority. With God’s authority upon her, she became His possession, and His word was fulfilled in her life.
Both women, despite their vastly different circumstances, were carrying promises from God that required deep trust in His faithfulness.
Embracing the Truth
Mary discovered she was going to have a child, carrying a divine promise even before her marriage to Joseph. She bore Christ, the Saviour, destined to bring salvation to the world. His name would be Immanuel—God with Us.
Mary found herself pregnant with the “truth” of God’s Word, carrying the world’s salvation within her. This divine pregnancy required her to embark on a series of journeys to prove her fidelity and sincerity. Mary, the bearer of the undefined Word, navigated through life’s challenges to bring forth Christ into a chaotic world.
But Mary’s journey of trust didn’t stop with her own acceptance; she took action. She travelled to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was advanced in age but was also miraculously pregnant with a child—John the Baptist. John the Baptist would prepare the way for Jesus.
The Meeting of Mary & Elizabeth
Mary’s journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea was significant. It was a journey to a place of trust. She visited Elizabeth because she received a revelation about her cousin’s pregnancy. Mary witnessed Elizabeth’s pregnancy firsthand, confirming the angel Gabriel’s message. When Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s home, something miraculous happened. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting (Luke 1:44), the baby in her womb—John the Baptist—leaped for joy. A powerful confirmation that God was indeed at work. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (Luke 1:42).
This visit allowed Mary to show her spiritual side and identify Jehovah for herself. Her trip to Elizabeth’s home was driven by a desire to fulfil her curiosity and solidify her trust in God’s promises.
God revealed Himself to Elizabeth, who until then, did not know Him intimately. It wasn’t until Mary arrived that Elizabeth recognized God. Mary served as a sign to Elizabeth (Isaiah 7:14), while Elizabeth provided hope for Mary. Both women were in similar situations—Mary seeking Elizabeth and Elizabeth seeking God. Through Elizabeth, Mary found God, and through Mary, Elizabeth discovered her promise (Luke 1:5-25). They both reached a place of trust, believing in the God who made promises to them.
Through this encounter, Mary grew stronger in her faith. Elizabeth received confirmation of the promises she had been holding on to. Mary, who had received the angel’s message, found trust and assurance in the words of her cousin. Elizabeth had waited so long for her own promise. She was overjoyed to witness the fulfilment of God’s Word.
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was not just a social call. It was a journey of affirmation—a step toward a deeper place of trust. Both women had been given promises by God, and both were learning to trust Him. This encounter was a spiritual confirmation that God was indeed with them, fulfilling His promises. God was present in their journey to this place of trust, guiding them throughout. He facilitated their meeting, which strengthened their faith for the journey ahead—faith to fulfil the promises in their lives. It was a reminder that trust in God comes from recognizing that He is always present in our journeys.
Finding Trust Through God’s Promises
God is always faithful to fulfil His promises. As we trust in Him, we come to a place where we know, without a doubt, that God is at work in our lives. This trust doesn’t come from our own strength, but from a deep knowledge that God’s Word will never return void. You come to a place of believe in God that He is the only one who can do this—You come to a place of trust.
Coming to a place of trust is a challenging journey. Trusting God requires all your strength. God didn’t bring Mary to Elizabeth to lecture her on pregnancy, but for Mary to witness God’s miracle. He brought her to a place of trust to strengthen Mary’s faith in Him. A place of trust is where you rely entirely on God for provision. You leave all your worries to God and have faith that He will fulfil His promises. Faith in God requires assurance; you cannot have faith without it.
Mary travelled to Elizabeth to strengthen her faith in God. She needed that time to build her trust in Him. Similarly, when we go to church, it’s often not because we already have strong faith, but because we seek to increase it. We come to a place of trust where God reveals His love to us. We don’t attend church because we have abundant faith (Matthew 17:20), but because we need to grow our faith. Therefore, let us not judge our brethren who may show less or no faith in God. It’s not our place to blame them. How can we measure our own faith to judge others? They need to come to a place of trust to develop their faith in God. We build our faith through worship and service.
Trusting God’s Promises
Coming to a place of trust involves asking ourselves profound questions: Can I truly rely on Him? Can I trust God with all my worries? Will He be faithful to me? Can I live in Him and He in me? Can I believe in Him? These are the questions we ponder daily. Is God trustworthy? We often go about our lives without questioning who sustains us. This is the question God poses to you: Who keeps you alive every day? Who monitors your movements and ensures your well-being? This is the crucial question you must ask yourself: Who is keeping you?
God meets our needs in various ways, and one significant way is through our worship. Worshiping God is a means by which He fulfils our needs. The Lord is always present with us, and His anointing is ever upon us. However, He is always ready to share our destiny with us. The only barrier is our eagerness to hear His voice. Are we eager to hear God’s voice in our church? Our eagerness to know God. How do we meet God?
Encountering God
In Mary’s case, she travelled to Elizabeth’s home, where she encountered God. She reached a place of trust, believing that God would reveal Himself to her. Instead, the Spirit of God spoke to her. Although she received the result she desired, it came in an unexpected way. She witnessed Elizabeth’s baby leap for joy. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb jumped for joy because he had encountered Immanuel, the sign God gave to the house of David. The baby leaped for joy because salvation had come to them.
Watch this! Mary did not visit or reveal herself to just anyone but to a descendant of the house of David. She did not expose herself to the world. Instead, she revealed herself to the house of David. They held the sign of the Messiah, Immanuel. God gave them the sign of Immanuel in Isaiah 7:14. They knew Him. However, they did not recognize Him when He came to them. The church knows God, but they do not know who His son, Jesus, is.
Mary did not reveal herself to the church but to those who knew God and His message. She went to the house of Zechariah, to whom God had promised a son (Luke 1:5-25). This was her reason for visiting Elizabeth, to prove herself to her. Mary was the sign to Elizabeth of the provision of a Messiah. It was proof that God is truth and that whatever He says comes to pass. She was a resurrection to Elizabeth, who had been longing for this day to come. The Lord has proven Himself worthy of their praise and trust. Now, Immanuel is standing in front of her, and she knows that God is with her. What God said had come to pass. A virgin has conceived. She will give birth to a son. They will call him Immanuel.
Identifying the Place of Trust
Mary’s word resonated with Elizabeth’s spirit. The moment I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped with joy. (Luke 1:41,44).
What brings you to a place of trust?
Elizabeth had a promise, and Mary had determination. Both had something that needed to be achieved within a specific time. Mary came with a burden, and Elizabeth had a burden, but both had a promise on their lives. Elizabeth was achieving her promise, while Mary was seeking hers. Both had something in mind.
Elizabeth is carrying a son who will preach repentance to the people. He will prepare the way for the Messiah. The baby in Elizabeth’s womb has been waiting for the confirmation of the sign of Immanuel—the coming of the LORD. The baby has been waiting for the conception of the son of the virgin. He has been waiting for the sign to come to pass. This was the day of the sign because John the Baptist’s birth is associated with the sign of Immanuel.
Elizabeth carries a promise. It is the message God sent Isaiah to give to Ahaz and the house of David (Isaiah 7:4-25). He said, “Put your house in order. Repent from your ways.” Elizabeth has been carrying this promise since the day it was given. Now, she has seen the sign of the promise. This is why John the Baptist lived in the wilderness, preaching repentance to the crowd. His word was repentance. His message was to preach repentance to those outside the will of God. It was for those who refused to ask God for a sign. They did not acknowledge the sign of Immanuel as God gave them. He preached the message of salvation to the crowd because he had witnessed the sign of Immanuel. This is what John preached about: salvation and repentance. John the Baptist lived the purpose of God.
Immanuel is with us every day. God made a promise to us, and this promise is yet to be fulfilled. His name is Jesus, the Son of the risen God. He is the Messiah, and His name is Immanuel.
Finding Trust in Our Own Lives
So, how do we come to a place of trust in our own lives? It’s a journey. Just like Mary and Elizabeth, we often face challenges, doubts, and moments of questioning. But it’s through those experiences that our faith is deepened.
Mary and Elizabeth travelled to each other’s homes. In the same way, we are invited to journey to the place where God’s promises come alive. This happens through our relationship with Him. Sometimes, it’s through worship, prayer, or a moment of quiet reflection that God meets us and reassures us of His faithfulness.
Mary and Elizabeth found trust in each other, but ultimately, they found trust in God’s plan for their lives. This Christmas, as we reflect on the miraculous birth of Jesus, may we also come to a place of trust. We should trust God with our worries, our hopes, and our futures, knowing that He is always with us.
Trusting in God’s Plan
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.” This saying reminds us that creating something big and great requires time and patience.
The process of coming to a place of trust is ongoing. We may encounter doubts and challenges along the way. The beauty of faith is that it grows and deepens through those struggles. When we ask ourselves, “Can I really trust God?” or “Will God be faithful to me?” we must remember that trust in God is built over time, just as a relationship deepens through shared experiences.
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth teaches us that coming to a place of trust requires both introspection and action. Trusting God means taking time to reflect on His promises, seeking confirmation, and allowing those confirmations to deepen our faith. For Mary, visiting Elizabeth was a way to “proclaim” the blessing over her life. It was also an opportunity to recognize the truth of God’s word. It was an act of faith, where Mary could see for herself that God was indeed fulfilling His promises.
The truth is that God is trustworthy. He has been faithful to us in the past, and He will continue to be faithful in the future. As we come to a place of trust, we can rest assured that God is with us. He has been with us every step of the way, just as He was with Mary and Elizabeth.
Conclusion—Embracing Trust in God’s Plan
Mary’s journey to Elizabeth’s home was not just about seeking affirmation. It was about deepening her trust in the promises of God. It was a journey of faith that allowed her to move from doubt to confidence, from fear to assurance. Like Mary, we are called to step out in faith, trusting that God will reveal His plan for us in His perfect time.
So, where is your place of trust today? Is it in God’s promises? Is it in His timing? Trusting God is not always easy, but it is always worth it. As we walk in faith, we should continually seek a deeper understanding of who God is. We should recognize how His faithfulness sustains us in both joyful times and challenging seasons. Trusting God is not about having all the answers. It is about knowing that He is the answer. We trust that His plan is always better than our own.
Through Mary’s yes, and through Elizabeth’s joy, we learn about trust. Through the birth of the Saviour, we understand that trust is the foundation of faith. Trust in God is the greatest gift we can give and receive.
As we celebrate Christ’s birth, may we journey with Mary and Elizabeth. Let us come to a place of trust where we, too, can say, “Yes, Lord. Let Your will be done in me.”
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Let’s keep trusting, keep growing, and keep walking with God. Merry Christmas!🙏
Written by Eunice Forson
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