Early morning, two days before Christmas, I rose and went into my prayer room, opened my Narrated Bible and began to read the account of Jesus’ birth. It’s a tradition of sorts that began when I was a child and remains with me to this day. Reading the biblical account helps to put all things related to this time of the year in proper perspective.
This time as I read the familiar passage from Luke’s account, one verse seemed to lift from the page and from that verse one word seemed to flash like a neon sign in the midnight sky.
“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." Luke 1:45 NASB
I could sense the Holy Spirit telling me this is a word for His faithful (those filled with faith) ones for the coming year: There will be a fulfillment of the things I have told you!”
Fulfillment -- accomplishment, completion, achievement, attainment, carrying out, carrying through, consummation, contentedness, contentment, crowning, discharge, effecting, end, gratification, implementation, perfection, realization, you got it
There will be a fulfillment of those things I have told you because you have and continue to believe!
Tears splashed like mini raindrops on the pages of my bible as I thought about all the promises, all the prophetic words, all the dreams and desires that I have hidden in the coffers of my heart. Many of those promises have yet to come to realization; many buried like hidden treasures. This is the time of fulfillment!
I thought about the various let downs and disappointments, the promises broken and the hopes dashed. All the “not-quite’s”; all the “almosts”; even the “fat chances.” All the challenges in their many forms and the fight to hold to just an inkling of hope – like Abraham “who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping” (Romans 4:18 The Bible in Basic English).
I looked at the path my life had taken with all the seeming detours that might suggest that I just needed to let go of some of those hopes and dreams with quiet acquiescence, face reality, and surrender to what is.
The Holy Spirit reminded me of the number of times we read these words in Scripture:
“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord. . .” Matt 1:22
“But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written. . .” John 15:25
All this was done! All what?
All the events of my life. All the circumstances surrounding my life! All this has happened that God’s word concerning me might be fulfilled. None of it is wasted or inconsequential! None of it!
All this!All the successes and all the disappointments. All the clear paths and all the obstacles. All the open doors and all the closed doors, even those slammed in my face. All the yeses that should have been no’s and all the no’s I thought should have been yeses. All the moments of acceptance and all the times of rejection. All the times I’ve been understood and all the times I have been grossly misunderstood. All the moments of truth mingled with the lies intended to halt me in my track. All the wonderful choices and all the bad decisions. All the positioning; all the displacements.
All this! All the victories, all the triumphs; all the losses, all the failures. All relationships.
All this!
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who live God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NASB
All this was done and all things are working in symphony to achieve God’s will for our lives!
It was so with Jesus; it is so with us!
All things are preparing us to receive the promise! All things are working to align those who are a part of that fulfillment because neither the promise nor its fulfillment are simply about you or me. There are a host of others that God desires to use, desires to benefit in some way from what He has promised us.
As we look back over the year and reflect on the things that happened, rejoice in knowing that all this happened that the word to you might be fulfilled, and now is the Time of Fulfillment!
One last point, notice the indefinite article that is used. It says a fulfillment; not the fulfillment. I find that interesting. A fulfillment suggests one of many. That gives me an even greater expectation. I may see a fulfillment, an unfolding of what God has purposed for me in this season, but it is not the end. There is more to come!
For anyone who has placed some hopes, dreams and desires on the shelf or even buried them and moved on, God wants you to know now is the time of Fulfillment!
Everything has been working for good and the manifestation of “all this” is at hand!
Believe it and rejoice!!
