Faithful on Fridays Blog

Let’s consider Jesus’ mother Mary this week when she visited her cousin Elizabeth also pregnant with John the Baptizer. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice John jumped for joy in her womb and a triple blessing flowed from her lips to Mary; here’s the third blessing:

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.” Luke 1:45 

Well, you may ask, what did the Lord say? We have to go back to that fateful day when the angel Gabriel visited Mary with prophetic words from God: “the Holy Spirit will come upon and overshadow you with power, a holy Baby will born, and He will be called the Son of God.”

(Gabriel continued) …“For nothing (rhema) will be impossible with God.” 

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Luke 1:37-38a 

Mary believed the word of the Lord spoken through the angel: no-thing (or word) will be impossible with God; He will fulfill every word, every promise, and every matter that’s He’s spoken. This Greek word rhema (word or thing) means the living Voice speaking the living Word into our hearts creating faith. When God speaks, through His Word or into our hearts, we receive it as Mary did, being fully persuaded, trusting, and relying on His character. We find rhema (word) used in other places in the Bible as well.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

The word (rhema) is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word [rhema] of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess (the rhema) with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:8-11 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (rhema) of Christ. Romans 10:17

Ponder that for a moment. Mary had God’s spoken Word; so do we. Mary was given power to believe; so are we. Mary was blessed in life for her faith; so are we. This isn’t only for salvation but for every word that God speaks whether from the Bible or directly into your heart. He gives us the divine persuasion for walking in the footsteps of faith and watch Him work as Mary did. The connection of God’s Word, believing, and faith is undeniable but notice that it needs to be spoken out loud. Your ears hear it over and over, you begin to believe it, and faith is imparted. Confession is simply being in agreement with His Word and saying the same things so consider what you’re confessing and believing today.