The Blessedness Of Believing, by Rev’d Jonathan Adeboye

Anchor Scriptures: Zec.8:3-19; Luk.1:39-45

Introduction: There are times that God’s promises seem too good to be true or practicable. However, we need to convince ourselves of God’s ability to do the unusual/incredible. There are several instances in the Bible when such things happened.

Israel’s Restoration from Captivity (Zec.8:3-19)

God’s promise to bring Israel out of 70 years of captivity sounded incredible to the people. We read in Zec.8:6: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.”

The word marvellous is from the Hebrew word pâlâ’ (paw-law’), which means wonderful, extraordinary, to be difficult to understand, to be beyond one’s power to do. It has the Greek equivalent adunateō (ad-oo-nat-eh’-o), which has only 2 but strong occurrences in the New Testament (Mat.17:20; Luk.1:37). It means “to be unable, to be impossible.”

Israel’s condition at the time is captured in verses 10, 14 & 19:

  1. there was no hire (wages/payments) for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbor (v.10);
  2. they were a curse among the heathen (v.13);
  3. they were fasting in the 5th month, among others, in memory of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem (v.19).

Note: As there are good memorials so are there bad/sorrowful ones.

God promised them as follows:

  1. He would return unto Zion, dwell in their midst, and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts (v.3);
  2. Old men and old women would dwell in the streets of Jerusalem (v.4);
  • The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing (v.5);
  1. They would be brought from all the places where they had been carried away captive (v.8);
  2. The “seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew” (v.12);
  3. They would cease to be a curse and become a blessing (v.13)
  • Their sorrowful memorial fasting would now be joyful, glad and cheerful feasts (v.19).

Mary’s Conception 

The news that Mary would conceive and give birth to Jesus sounded incredible. Her question to angel Gabriel was, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Luk.1:34. But the angel concluded his explanation with, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luk.1:37.

Christ’s Resurrection (Joh.20:24-29)

When the other disciples told Thomas the Lord had risen and had appeared to them, he responded with these words: “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Joh.20:25

Attention Please!

We need to pay attention to the words of Mama Elizabeth and our Master, Jesus Christ:

Mama said to Mary, “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luk.1:45

Our Master said to Thomas, “…and be not faithless, but believing….Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Joh.20:27b, 29

Note: Have you ever heard it said, “Seeing is believing”? That is an absolute lie from the pit of hell.

We read in Heb.11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Conclusion: Jehovah God is set to fulfil His promises and do great things in your midst this month, a month of harvest of miracles. Faith, unwavering faith, is the only route to partake of the Most High’s blessings.

Father Abraham was fully persuaded that whatever God had promised He was able also to perform (Rom.4:21);

King Solomon testified, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it”. 1Kng.8:15

The Psalmist declared, “…for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” Psa.138:2

Jehovah God assured Jeremiah, “…I will hasten my word to perform it.” Jer.1:12

Our Lord authoritatively asserted, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Mat.24:35.

Therefore, believe and you, like Mary, will experience the performance of all Jehovah is promising to do.

The sermon, The Blessedness Of Believing, by Rev’d Jonathan Adeboye, President, Total Missions Global Network Ministries,
NIGERIA was delivered on Sunday, April 6, 2018