She That Believed

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is uncertainty. I like to know what to expect, what to prepare or plan for. I hate that nagging dread that settles into the pit of my stomach when waiting to see whether or not something unpleasant, difficult, or painful is about to occur.

Of course, we live in a very uncertain world, and over the past year it seemed to me as if the world was becoming more and more uncertain with every passing day.

Mary also lived in uncertain times, which were made even more uncertain still by the fact that God chose her to be carry the Savior and be the first and only woman to experience the miracle of a virgin birth. I don’t know what went through her mind as she travelled to see her cousin Elisabeth. If she was anything like me, uncertainty must have gnawed at her the whole way there.

Imagine her joy, then, when she saw Elisabeth, who instantly knew the truth of what had happened, and rejoiced over God’s goodness. While encouraging Mary, Elisabeth made a statement that can also help us in our uncertain times.

“And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)

The cure for uncertainty is belief. When we believe that God’s promises to us are certain, we can have peace, though all around us seems unstable and indefinite.

Certainty in the truth of the things which have been told us from the Lord in His Word gives us solid ground upon which to stand; ground from which we can catch a glimpse of the bigger picture which God sees fully.

Notice also the connection of believing and receiving. Mary believed that God would do as He said, and He certainly would.

“there shall be a performance of those things…”

That one word, shall, speaks volumes. It echoes down through the centuries, calling us to believe for ourselves and see that the shall is for us as well. As Psalm 34:8 says,

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”

Now, I don’t mean to portray God’s faithfulness as something we can somehow call into effect on our behalf by working up enough belief in ourselves to get what we want. That’s not at all how this works.

The Bible never teaches that we can force God to give us what we want by “believing” hard enough. Instead, it teaches that God is faithful, and that He keeps His promises.

When we believe, we act according to our belief that God will keep His Word. When we doubt, we act in accordance with our belief that He will not, or our doubt that He can, or our fear that His faithfulness will not be demonstrated in the way we expect or want.

God wants us to believe Him, to trust that He is and does as He has promised. Faith responds to life’s uncertainties by stepping up onto the solid ground of God’s Word: doubt responds by wallowing in the quicksand of fear, sinking further and further into uncertainty until completely overwhelmed and disheartened.

Hebrews says,

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

The way we come to God in salvation is the same way we keep near Him as we live the Christian life. Faith is required for every step of the journey, for it keeps us close to His side, looking to Him, finding our certainty in God, not our circumstances.

So what about you? What uncertainties are you facing, and which of God’s many promises can you turn to instead?