Belief…

Belief…

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can come before God, justified and found righteous in His eyes. But we must believe in our hearts that He shed His blood, conquering death, for us and confess Him as our Lord and Savior.

So many times, I question how one can turn a head and harden a heart to that kind of love. How could one choose to walk this life without God? But at the heart of it is belief.
Belief… how easy it is to believe what we see. But if something seems humanly impossible or farfetched, we often disregard it as a tall tale or a myth. For example, aside from setting the concrete walls for our basement which was done by a crane and the drywall, my husband built our house all by himself. He dug the basement and the footers with his tractor. The floor trusses, the framing, the roof: (trusses, beams, sheathing, and shingles), the electrical, the plumbing, brick, vinyl, stone… were all done by him. However, when I share this, most still envision a crew and perceive my words as an exaggeration. Why? Probably because they did not stand there as I did, watching my husband carry 120 bundles of shingles up a 28-foot ladder, one at a time, by himself. This very topic came up not long ago when we had to get a load of gravel for the driveway. The man who delivered the gravel is the same person we have used for gravel and stone throughout the entire building process. As he was about to leave, he commented about how hard my husband had worked on the house, and I remarked how most could not believe that he literally built it by himself. His response… I know he did. Every time I made a delivery, I saw it.

He believed because of what he saw. But those that did not see… well… it was a bit harder for them to comprehend… (to believe).

As we remember from scripture, this was Thomas’ problem. He refused to believe based on what others had witnessed. And these weren’t just any witnesses… these were his friends… reliable sources. Yet, in John 20:25, Thomas says, “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” (KJV). So, a bit later in John, Chapter 20, Jesus is there in front of Thomas, and Thomas sees Jesus’ hands and His side. As Thomas now believes, Jesus says to him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29 KJV).

Throughout my life, I have seen God work wonders in my life… wonders that were too much to be coincidence. And through pain and heartache and tribulation, I have felt His presence… the peace that kept me going when otherwise I would crumble. I do not need to see with my eyes. I have seen with my heart. Yet, how can I share this understanding… this belief in a world where science says we have to see it… and prove it? Well, the proof is there… it’s all around us.

The other morning, I looked out the back window. Deer filled the backyard… some almost on the patio. I thought of Paul’s words in Romans 1:20: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (KJV). As I went throughout the day, a lizard leaped from the outside waste can as I put the bag in. Startled, its tiny rib cage rose and fell with every breath. Then, when I stepped into the garage to put on my shoes, I stuck my foot into a mass of leaves and grass as a bird must have thought he had found a perfect spot to build his nest. All is clear evidence of our Creator. The scripture in 1 Samuel 13:14 speaks of David as it states, “…the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart…” (KJV). As David spent such long hours alone in the outdoors, shepherding those sheep, I can only imagine how his heart became so closely connected to God through the evidence of God’s handiwork all around him.

So, we see the evidence of God surrounding us, but what about the resurrection of Christ? In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul relates that after Jesus’ death on the cross, He was not only seen by the disciples but also “…was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6 KJV).

We are found righteous through belief. Abraham was found righteous because he believed. Genesis 15:6 tells us: “And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (KJV).
Belief comes from the heart. God’s Word says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…” (Romans 10:9-10 KJV).

I see the beauty of His creation. I am in awe of His works. And I know and believe with my whole heart that Jesus died and was resurrected so that we could have a personal relationship with Him for eternity.

My prayer for you;
May you believe with your whole heart and walk with the Savior whose love and mercy are never-ending.