UNBELIEF AMONGST BELIEVERS, HOW?
How do we easily forget about who God is? How do we manage to see all of God’s works throughout our lives, but manage to worship our worries rather than God for who He is?
I used to question Jesus’ disciples in the Bible for their lack of faith, time after time, when they were literally walking with Jesus. Like, how can you question this miracle? How can you not believe? How do you still not see who He is and what He is capable of doing? How can one deny faith? I also used to say that if I were his disciple, then, seeing everything before my eyes, there would be NO WAY of me ever-doubting God in my life. I would live a faithful life because I am a witness walking with the greatest.
The thing is, questioning the disciples about their walk with Jesus and reflecting on how I would do it if I were in their position made me realize that I was not fully seeing the reality of my walk with God today.
You see, from time to time, I am one of those disciples. Nothing greater than them. Well, maybe better than Judas, but I am still a child walking with the same Jesus who has revealed to me through the Holy Spirit all works and wonders before me, yet in times of trouble, I have moments of doubt as if I were not a witness of a provider. As if I were not a witness to being saved countless times in many situations. Like through healing, protection, and receiving every need that He knew I needed.
Why is it so easy to say how we would do things better than our fellow brothers and sisters if we were walking in their shoes, yet we cannot do better in the very shoes that we are walking in right now?
Yes, I did judge. It is sadly true, and it was very easy for me to read the words of the greatest book that I have the privilege to read, and question those who had seen every work of Jesus through their daily discipleship with Him. However, in doing so, I was able to see the speck in my own life when I found myself in similar situations.
Like I said, there is no difference between their walk and mine, and yours! The same Jesus who healed and covered their sins. Who walked with them and spoke the words from the Father to guide them through many teachings, is the same Jesus who lives in us today. The same Jesus who descended into Heaven, but brought us the Holy Spirit to transform us just as He did the disciples. We have the same Jesus as the disciples did when they called out to Jesus for healing and to bring back the dead. They called Him, He showed up. We call on Him, He shows up, because that is what a good Savior does. We wanted to be saved. He took on the cross so that we could be saved.
Different time, Same Jesus. And that is the Jesus who will be forever glorified.
Let us not get caught up in our daily lives that we forget about who God the Father is, and what He did for us. He sent a son who allows us through Him to have access to our Father. Let us not forget what made us believe in Him in the first place. I will never forget my known experience that made me believe in Him as a child. That same Spirit of God is the same Spirit that is in you if you just acknowledge it. Don’t let life overshadow His works, but allow yourself to change the focus to the Mighty King and remember that He is BIGGER than this world and all that comes from it. He is working and fully active at this point. Relax and receive your Prince of Peace.
Scriptures
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Jesus the Way to the Father
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it
John 14:5-14
Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews
Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
John 12:37-50
“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
John 16:1-15
