Mensa Otabil - There Will Be a Fulfillment
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Luke 1, verse 45: «Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.» I particularly like how the Old King James uses the word «performance» in place of «fulfillment.» In my New King James, it states, «There will be a performance of those things which were told her by the Lord.» These are the words that Elizabeth spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to Mary, and she blessed Mary by saying, «Blessed is she who believed.»
That is an eye-opening statement, and it tells us that although Mary was favored by God and chosen by Him, she could also have doubted Him. Thus, she was blessed not because she was favored; she was blessed because she believed. It’s very important to pay attention to this: sometimes God can favor you, speak to you, and even choose you, but you can nullify all of that process through unbelief.
So, blessed is she who believed. Mary’s blessedness was not simply because God chose her but because she believed. Divine favor must be received with faith. God’s favor found Mary, but Mary’s faith connected with God. The two must go together: favor and faith. If God favors us, we must always act in obedience to His will. So, Elizabeth assured Mary that because she believed, there will be a fulfillment—or a performance, or a manifestation—of what had been told her.
There are three things I want you to note. The first is God’s promises. God makes promises to us through His word, and when God makes promises to us, faith receives the promises. The promise of God comes because He favors us; He gives us a promise, but faith must receive the promises of God. After faith has received the promises of God, God performs His word. He gives His word, we believe His word, and then He performs His word. That is the sequence with Mary: she had the word of God, she believed the word of God, and then God performed the word in her life. For everything that God wants to do in our lives, He gives us the word.
Search the Scriptures and find out the promises of God to us: promises of safety, security, and salvation for our households; promises of giving us our daily bread. Every time God provides something to sustain us for the day, we may not have a storehouse to take care of every need of ours, but God is able to take care of every need day by day. Today, I pray God will give you your daily bread, your daily miracle, your daily favor, your daily open door, your daily access. May He give it to you. That’s the promise, but you have to believe it. Don’t say, «Pastor, I receive it,» and not believe it. You have to believe it, and then, after you believe it, God performs it.
So, we’ve walked through the story of the announcement of the Messiah to Mary. It begins with Elizabeth coming to Mary, and we see the whole process of what was spoken becoming a reality. May the word of God become a reality in our lives. Let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, I believe in Your promises to me, and I receive the fulfillment for all the things that You have told me. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» Well, we’ll start something new tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.