Thoughts for another day

February 2, 2007

Today's verse: Lk. 16:31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (KJV) (Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

When you read this verse, what do you think? Does it apply to you? If you ask me, I’d say, ‘Not at all, it may apply to Mr Jeff who doesn’t trust God.’ Then God sends me the test. And I fail to keep trust and break faith with God. I run, helter skelter, worried, and all. (Yes, I have good excuses; don’t we all?) Someone tells me, ‘Brother, trust God.’ I say, ‘Yes I am trusting Him’ while all the time, my actions betray my faith.

This is a common malady. In our lives we’ve seen God’s hand one time or the other. Yet when a problem comes, we fail to trust God, even if reminded that the last time I had a problem, God had solved it miraculously. The question we need to ask is, why do we do it? What Jesus says in the above verse is really astounding. ‘If somebody dead rises again and says something, we will still not be persuaded?’ Jesus Himself says that as from the mouth of Abraham, hence, it’s got to be true.

We don’t see miracles today because we don’t want to believe in them. Ask yourself, if there is a problem you’ve taken to God and prayed about, have you believed He will answer? I tell you, if you can say ‘yes’ to this, God has answered your prayer. Many tell me they pray and believe; but God does not answer because He wants them to suffer. Now that’s a myth! God cannot bear to see us suffering. So why don’t we see a miracle? When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God told those in charge to write the marvelous work He had performed in Egypt and tell them to the young, that they hear and come to trust Him. Still, people did not believe Him and they broke faith. Because of which God did not work in their favor and they suffered. That’s reason one.

The second reason is; I have compartmentalized God and likened Him to a man. My mind therefore tells me if it is a small thing I want for e.g. I got a cold and pray to God, I believe He will do it. But if I am suffering from cancer and pray, deep within I feel God will not cure. This is because I am yet to reconcile in my mind that God sees no difference between cancer and cold. He can cure both easily. The difference is in my mind. Because man, hasn’t yet found a perfect cure for cancer I don’t believe God can cure me. Sadly, what I think happens. Even then, there are testimonies of people who believed God and have survived to tell their tale.

What do we glean here? Our hearts are hardened with what we see and hear in this world. We see something amazing, we temporarily believe then quickly forget. Faith in God has to be complete and unconditional or it is no faith and therefore no miracles will be seen. Let’s learn to trust God implicitly for all that concerns us. I tell you, it pleases Him tremendously. Then you will see your miracle.