Greetings in Christ,
I can see why many people think the Bible is a fairy tale story. It is hard sometimes to comprehend the details of the stories in the Bible. The details can be so farfetched in belief it is hard to believe a God would intervene in people’s lives the way He does.
Take for example King Hezekiah was told by Isaiah he was going to die. King Hezekiah was saddened by the news and began to pray to God. God heard his prayer and told Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah he would live for another fifteen years. King Hezekiah did not accept Isaiah’s word alone, but rather wanted a sign from God it would happen. King Hezekiah wanted a shadow on a stairway to turn back ten steps, and the shadow moved back ten steps along with his extended years. We read that story and are amazed at just how things turned out, but it can be hard to imagine it happening today.
Another example of a story told in Acts. Peter had been held in jail so Herod could make an example of him to the Jews. Peter was in the jail chained between two guards, with many guards standing at the jail cell door, and the entrance to the jail making sure no one entered to free Peter. In walks an angel. He walked past all the guards and taps Peter on the shoulder. Then suddenly the chains fall off Peter freeing him from the guards. Peter gets dressed and the angel walks him past all the guards to a safe place within the city and then just disappears. Even Peter thinks he is seeing a vision. We read that story and are amazed at just how things turned out, but it can be hard to imagine it happening today.
Another example of a story told in Luke describing Jesus raising a widow’s son from the dead. Jesus has just started His ministry in a new area, and He was not well known. As Jesus was entering the city of Nain, He witnessed a funeral procession heading out of town. He stopped and heard the widow crying and asked the procession to stop. He commanded the young man to rise from the coffin, and he sat up in the coffin. Jesus had raised the son from the dead and gave him back to his mother. We read that story and are amazed at just how things turned out, but it can be hard to imagine it happening today.
I can see why it is hard for some people to believe God can work in people’s lives the way He does. It takes a belief which must go beyond ourselves into the supernatural and beyond the science of things we can put our finger on physically. It takes a belief in something omniscient which does not rely on the things of this earth to work. It takes a belief in God who is creator of life and has the ability to command anything to happen.
It is hard to believe God would work in a manner just as described in the Bible today. We take for granted the miracles which happen before us every day in medical advances and technology. We forget it is God who gave mankind the intelligence to think and to rationalize, to build and create material goods, and to have freedom of choice, but it is this freedom of choice which gets us into trouble. It is our choice to accept God for Who He is, or to not to accept Him at all.
God is still God, and He is still in command. The only difference between yesterday and today is the people in the Bible believed in God who could do anything He wanted, and they believed it to the point they prayed for God to work in their lives as they asked for it to happen.
God can only work in our lives to the point we believe He can work. If we do not accept God for Who He is, we will never see Him work today. We will never see just how God intervenes in the lives of people who believe in Him. Jesus said all it took was faith the size of a mustard seed to move a mountain. How big is our faith? All it takes is a mustard seed size to believe.
“I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness. They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your godly ones shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; to make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” Psalm 145:1-13
Lord may we have the faith to believe You will work in our lives just as You have for those in the Bible. May we rejoice in Your mighty acts You will do for us. Amen
Blessings,