DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE GOD? (PART 5)
TEXTS:
"And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke chapter 1 verse 45, Kings James Version)
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans chapter 4 verse 3, Kings James Version)
Today, I have chosen to speak about the faith of two prominent saints, Mary the mother of Jesus and Abraham the father of faith. I do this principally for the benefit of two classes of people. Firstly, for the benefit of those who see their problem as beyond God's redemption because of its novelty; and secondly, for the benefit of those that see their problem as irredeemable or hopeless because of age.
First, the case of Mary the mother of Jesus is one that should teach us to see God as One that is able and willing to go to lengths to do for us things that are not only novel, but things that are beyond our wildest dreams or imaginations. Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin; yet she believed the Word of the Lord from the mouth of the angel that she would conceive and bear Jesus, though she had never known man. She believed God and her very simple but positive response to the angel's message was, "be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke chapter 1 verse 38). It was this same Mary that spoke words of faith to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who also was going through some trying moment, saying, "... blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke chapter 1 verse 45, Kings James Version).
There's someone reading this devotional this morning. It's possible that God has said He's going to do something new in your life, something that had never been done before, something that's beyond the wildest of your imagination. Can you, like Mary, believe God and say Lord, "be it unto me according to thy word"?
In the original Greek literal translation of John chapter 14 verse 13, God has promised saying, "If you will ask anything in My Name, if I don't have it, I'll make it for you"! "I'll make it for you"! And, thank God, He can. This is because He is El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough! Hallelujah!
It's interesting to note that apart from Mary, no virgin ever conceived without man's involvement and never will there be any! Like Mary, can you believe God and allow Him to do for you something that had never been done before?
To the second class of persons who think that their problem is beyond redemption because of age, consider the patriarch Abraham. The Bible says of him as follows:
"Abraham was almost 100 years old, much past the age for having children. Also, Sarah could not have children. Abraham thought about all this. But his faith in God did not become weak. He never doubted that God would keep his promise. Abraham never stopped believing. He grew stronger in his faith and gave praise to God. Abraham felt sure that God was able to do the thing that God promised." (Romans chapter 4 verses 19 to 21, International Children's Bible).
The Bible says in Jonah chapter 2 verse 8, King James Version, that "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." Abraham didn't observe his physical inhibitions. In comparison to God's Word to him, they were lying vanities! Rather, he was steadfast, believing God's promise.
Dearly beloved, I want you to understand that God's Word to you is indeed, reality and truth. I want you to believe that anything that stares at you in the face which is in opposition to God's Word, isn't true. It doesn't matter how real It may be to you.
With Abraham and Sarah, nature was in all of its essence against them; their case was as far as it was with man, hopeless. They were both well past age, yet the Bible says that against hope, Abraham believed in hope. According to the Bible, "There was no hope that Abraham would have children. But Abraham believed God and continued hoping, and so he became the father of many nations." (Romans chapter 4 verse 18, New Century Version). Can you continue to hope in God in spite of circumstances to the contrary?
Brethren, since the Lord Jesus said "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark chapter 9 verse 23), I urge you to stand firm in faith, believing God for the performance of His promise to you. Certainly, you will never be disappointed with Him, in Jesus name.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, I believe You for all things and all the days of my life, I will wait for you until my change comes. Amen.