Believe

“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1,45 (NKJV)

The words above were pronounced by Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1,41).

Previous to that, the angel Gabriel had brought a message from God to Mary; that she would conceive and give birth to a son: Jesus, although she was a virgin. (Luke 1,28-37). Mary believed the words spoken by the angel and said: “I am the Lord’s servant”, “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1,38)

The blessedness of believing lies in the fact that God will perform/fulfill His Word. God is true and not a liar.

However, to believe is a choice. And what we believe is what will have an impact on our lives.

Our part is to believe God. The fulfillment of the word is God's part.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6,29 (NKJV)

According to the Lord Jesus, to believe in Him is to do the work of God. That’s what is required of us.

If ‘our works’ do not stem from believing in Him, they are dead works. But if they do, it means our faith is alive (James 2,26) and we are aligned with God’s purposes.

The parable of the ten virgins, as told by Jesus in Matthew 25,1-13, teaches us, among many other things, that in order to access there has to be determination. The wise virgins were determined; nothing could stop them from entering the wedding banquet. They didn’t want to miss it. That’s why they carried oil for their lamps and were not willing to share it with others.

Believe and be steadfast in what you have believed.

The apostle Paul calls it the good fight of faith. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1Timothy 6,12 NKJV)

We become steadfast in what we have believed by nurturing what we heard from God with more of His Word, by guarding our hearts and minds, being alert of what goes through our eyes and ears and aware of our company (1Corinthians 15,33 NKJV).

“You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, And gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give him the land of the Canaanite, Of the Hittite and the Amorite, Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite —To give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, For You are righteous.” Nehemiah 9,7-8 (NASB1995)