Hebr
11:1,6 (NASB) Now faith is the
assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen…And without
faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe
that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
As
one who Christ has set free from the foolishness of atheism, I love to meditate
on passages in the Bible that address those who have trouble believing things
they cannot see. When our resurrected Lord appeared to ‘doubting Thomas’
and he finally believed, Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you
have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John
20:29). When Jesus spoke those words he was thinking of you and me. None of us
living today has seen Jesus the way the disciples did during the 3 years of his
ministry on earth. Toward the end of
that earthly ministry Jesus told his disciples, “Before long, the world will
not see me anymore, but you will see me…” He went on to say that he would then
“manifest” himself to all who love him and the Father. (John 14:19,21). He was
preparing the disciples for the apostolic ministry when they would be
proclaiming the truth of the gospel to people like you and me who would begin
to see Jesus because he would manifest himself to us. The unseen God does
reward those who diligently seek him. What is our reward? The apostle Paul
tells us in his prayer for the Ephesian seekers: “I keep asking that the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of
wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the
eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to
which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” (Ephe 1:17-18) When we choose to believe, even though we do not see with physical eyes,
God gives us faith…the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen. I am so grateful that the Father has opened the eyes of my heart so I
can see Him ... the unseen God!
1 comment:
Hi May,
I just read your post. Yes, isn't it so wonderful that God in His kindness gives us faith to see the invisible! How great the Father's love for us...grace giving us life, faith, granting us repentance, and filling us with hope that no one can ever take away! The Lord bless you and keep you. Keep on writing!
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