– John 1:12
Just Believe!
We talk about faith and belief but we mix it with our own understanding of how things work so what ends up happening sometimes, is that our faith and belief end up being a by-product our own point of view.
Growing up in Catholic school, we used to say the Apostles Creed every morning (right after the Pledge of Allegiance). For those not familiar, it starts out like this: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord...
The problem was that I didn't even know who God really was. I sure didn't know who Jesus really was. I recited the words of that prayer because the authority figures in my life told me to – not because I truly believed in them.
I see a lot of that still today. I see well-intentioned Christians who talk of faith and belief but who, by their very words and actions, don't really buy into everything God says about who He is and who Jesus is. I've even heard people who consider themselves to be Christians who say that the Bible is just a book of stories, and they only consider parts of it to be true. I worked with one lady who told me that her pastor was teaching them that there were many ways to get to heaven and that Jesus was just one of the many ways. How confused must that congregation be!
Sometimes, we don't have to look much further than our own beliefs to find incredible stories of half-hearted faith and we can end up wondering (doubting), if God can REALLY get us out of the trials we find ourselves in sometimes. If we take an honest look back at the times when we were faced with something really big, we will most likely see that we finally turned to God AFTER trying to figure things out on our own. But God knows how weak our faith can sometimes be, and He is ALWAYS faithful to get us through to the other side of the problem – despite our weak belief. It might not always be the way we would have done it, but we always end up learning and growing as a result . . . that is, until the next time we're in trouble and we question God's abilities all over again.
What awesome victory we would have, if we just "got it" one day. If we just woke up and realized that God is who He says He is; that Jesus is Lord, and He IS the risen Christ, and that through Him ALL things ARE possible for us because we BELIEVE IN HIM. That Jesus IS our life source, and He IS our portion for every need and every desire . . . because He IS our every need and desire. How beautiful would our lives be if we would just believe; believe that the Bible IS the very breath of God, given to us as a gift for survival in this crazy world; believe that every book, every chapter, every verse, and every word IS absolute and not open to our own understanding or interpretation.
Maybe one day we will learn to truly believe and when we do, we will see amazing power in our lives and we will see the world change . . . and our God, who loves us even in our unbelief, will be glorified!
Prayer
Father, I believe in You. I believe every sentence of Your Word and I am so thankful that You have given me the way to find Your Heart through the pages of Your Word. I have seen You change me as I explore it, and I am in awe of Your Holy Power that pours from every page. Lord Jesus, I lift up those who are being deceived today. I pray that their eyes can be opened to the lies that the enemy is feeding them, and that they can experience Your true Love through the Power of Your Word. I thank You that You are a patient God and that You are putting fire in the hearts of Your true believers to reach out to those being led astray. May we reach out in Love, and Joy, and Peace, without condemnation or accusation – just like You did for us.
Have a blessed day everyone!
– Richard
Amen!!
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