The next thing we see is how Mary moves past her doubts, misgivings, and fears, and accepts what God is telling her through the angel.

Luke 1:38 ''I am the Lord's servant,'' Mary answered. ''May your word to me be fulfilled.'' Then the angel left her.

Mary moved from doubt to acceptance. The result was that the angel, who was constantly trying to reassure her, had completed his task, and he left her. Her answer reveals to us the shift that was taking place in this young girl's heart.  Perhaps, she was not persuaded yet, but she knew enough about God to give Him the benefit of the doubt.  She did not fully understand, she was not fully convinced, but she chose to make a declaration of intent. In the process she aligned her heart with what she hoped could be a reality.  In our own walk of faith, we have to also get to this point, where we move past doubt and then align our hearts with the promises of God, and His love and plans for our lives. It was, in fact, an act of surrender to the will of God, despite the lack of persuasion in her own heart.  Perhaps you have lived your life in the 'doorway of doub'? It is now time to move past this point to the point where you place your confidence in God, regardless of how you feel or perceive things to be! It is a vital step in the process of moving from doubt to believing.

FROM ACCEPTANCE TO CONVICTION

Luke 1:39-43 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?''

Now Mary meets up with her cousin, Elizabeth and it would be a significant meeting, where something supernatural would take place. Elizabeth reacts in a very strange way, as her unborn child jumps in her womb and she is filled with the Holy Spirit.  In one moment, this unlikely person, Elizabeth, a relative, sees in Mary what she cannot as yet see in herself.  Elizabeth and her unborn child are physically affected by Mary's presence. This strange experience flicked the switch in Mary's heart, and she moved from acceptance to conviction. It was as if Elizabeth's reaction was the confirmation and validation that her faith needed to be able to fully embrace God's wonderful plan for her. Sometimes other people can see more clearly what is taking place in our lives than what we can see for ourselves. God can use anything and anyone to come and reaffirm things in our hearts, so that we can move from acceptance to conviction. When we are convicted about something, we have a strong persuasion, and we are convinced that something is true. The Lord wants the 'wonders of His love' towards you to become something that you are persuaded about, something you are convinced is true. Maybe today, as you read these notes, the penny can drop, and you can realise fully and believe that God loves you and has a plan for you and wants you to receive His gift of salvation and eternal life? My prayer is that you will know 'the wonders of His love' for you, as a settled matter, that your season of doubt or tacit acceptance will end and you will move into the reality of His love for you. May you be convinced and convicted of the wonders of His love for you.

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