Do You Believe?

What do you believe? Is your belief based on self-exploration, science, hearsay, and/or personal experience? Or is your belief based on faith?

Long before Edison and Franklin, electricity existed. Before Marconi, radio ways filled the air. Before Newton, there was gravity. There was something that each of these men saw which caused them to dream, to explore and to invent.

The same holds true in our relationship with God.

Religion tells us that we must work to earn God’s favor or his kindness and love but God’s word tells us something different. The Apostle Paul tells us that it’s the goodness of God that draws us to Him. We can see in ourselves and those around us that there is failure, selfishness, greed, misguided ambition, deceit – sin and that we fall short on our own. Through the pages of God’s word we see many examples of God’s unconditional love and our search leads us to Him.

“Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!” 30 Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life.” John 20:29-31 ERV

The signs, the miracles, the daily works of Jesus are so extensive that they couldn’t all be written down. The purpose of His works were to bring us to a place where we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and that we can have life through Him.

It’s not like believing in Santa or the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny. Our belief in a personal Savior is life changing; it is empowering; it is transforming!

“Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right. 12 Lord God All-Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.” Psalm 84:11-12 CEV

It’s ok to question – God’s big enough to handle it. If we’re honest enough to ask, He’s honest enough to answer. God is patiently waiting to show us His character; He won’t force us to believe in His love and goodness or even that He exists.

Just like those inventors who searched for the answers about electricity and radio waves we will find Him when we search for Him.

“Ask, and what you are asking for will be given to you. Look, and what you are looking for you will find. Knock, and the door you are knocking on will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives what he asks for. Everyone who looks finds what he is looking for. Everyone who knocks has the door opened to him. What man among you would give his son a stone if he should ask for bread?…How much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” Matthew 7:7-11 NLV

It’s not a matter of whether or not God can handle our questions, it’s can we deal honestly with His answers.

I ask again, what do you believe? Believe in God’s goodness; it will transform your life!