Do We Believe God?

In God's word, Luke chapter one tells us about the announcement of John to Zechariah and Elizabeth and the announcement of Jesus, the Son of God, to Mary. I have read this account many times, but today I realized something that I had not noticed before. In the beginning of chapter 1 of Luke, the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that his prayers have been heard and that Elizabeth will bear him a son and that they, Zechariah and Elizabeth, are to call him John. Verses 18-20 of chapter 1, Luke says “Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”  The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” (NIV emphasis mine).

 Later in the chapter, Luke writes that Elizabeth is six months along in her pregnancy when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary in Nazareth. Mary is told by Gabriel that she is favored and that the Lord is with her, and that she is going to have a son. Mary is told to give her son the name Jesus, and that he will be called the Son of the Most High. While Gabriel is talking to Mary he also tells her that her cousin Elizabeth is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Starting in verse 38 we read, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah, 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 favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (NIV emphasis mine) 

Notice, Zechariah was struck silent, and unable to speak until the time was right for Elizabeth to give birth because of his unbelief. Mary’s faith and belief were confirmed when Gabriel left her and Elizabeth was filled with God’s assurance and shared it with Mary. Mary believed God! How often do we say we “hope” that something will happen or that we “hope” that things will go well. As a believer, we have hope in God’s plan that is far better than ours. As a believer we have the assurance of God’s presence and desire to be with us. Do we believe God as Mary did? Instead of saying that we “hope” that something will happen or that things will go well, shouldn’t we be saying that we believe God will walk with us through the situation we are in or that we believe God will work all things in our lives for His glory. We need to begin believing God – as I was reminded in a recent Bible study – God is who He says He is and God will do all that He says He will do!