Have you
ever wished you could see some kind of proof that God was really who the Bible
says he is? I remember as a teenager trying to decide what to do with all this
rather unbelievable information
I was hearing about God from my girlfriend. I recall one night driving around
in my car, a 1953 Dodge, telling God that I’d believe in him if he’d just give
me a sign… Then I looked up to the sky and waited…and waited…and waited. I’m
still waiting.
Thomas (John
20:24-31) wanted “proof” too. Difference is, he got it, and I never did.
There’s a story in the New Testament about another guy that wanted “proof” too. He didn’t get it either. It’s a story about two guys (we’re given the name of one and merely the economical state of the other), Lazarus and a rich man. Lazarus died and went to heaven; the rich man died and went to hell. In hell the rich man, who had five brothers, asked if it might be possible to have Lazarus go back to earth and warn his brothers to believe in God, so they wouldn’t die and end up in hell, figuring that if they had “proof” they’d believe in God. So he reasoned…
“If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” (Luke 16:29b-31)
Here’s the response Jesus gave:
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:31)
So it seems
that maybe “proof,” even if we had it, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Obviously it isn't necessary, and may
that’s just the way God wants it and the way we need for it to be. It’s why we
call it faith.
Speaking of faith, is there any evidence in the way we choose to live that we are people who live by faith? When we peal back the façade, what kind of faith do we really have? I’m just not all that impressed with my own faith to be honest with you. Consider the following words of Jesus for example…
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
To be honest, I sort of wish my rich
aunt (I don’t have one that I know of) had written that instead of God. If I
had a rich aunt, and if she had written me such a letter; “Ed, you just keep
your mind and heart on God, and I’ll make sure there’s no shortage of money,”
do you think I’d worry about money? I wouldn’t. I’d feel a tremendous freedom
to apply myself to the calling of God on my life.
The hard-hitting part of all this is
that it seems to indicate that I have more confidence in a rich aunt that doesn’t
even exist than I do in an omnipotent God that does!
I submit to you that if we chose to
live according to the faith God gave us on the day he saved us we wouldn’t be
caught dead disobeying God.
If we wait for “proof” that our faith
is legitimate before we decide to live faithfully my hunch is that it won’t
ever happen.
Thomas, for some reason, got his “proof.” The rest of us get to believe. Consider yourself blessed.
(Ed Saucier)
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