WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE YOU BELIEVE?

Reference: John 4:48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

Observation: This is a question and an issue that is just as real and relavant in the church today as it was in the time of Jesus's visitation here on earth. Too many Christians predicate their believe on signs and wonders. It is almost like God has to keep proving Himself to them over and over. The real reason we ought to believe is His witness in our hearts; the reality of our relationship with Him.

We couch our pursuit of miracles in the best of terms; we want to see people blessed and relived from their suffering, we want the world to see a powerful God and be drawn to Him, we want His people to be provided for. These are all great motivations! The danger is that we lose the centrality of relationship for the pursuit of the flashyness of miracles. It is as if we were to say to our spouse, "I know you love me and we have a great relationship but I can't really be happy until you do something extrordinary for me. Prove yourself to me and then I can be satisfied." Such a conversation shows a weakness at the very core of the relationship.

So it is with our relationship with God. We ought to pray for signs and wonders, we ought to believe for them--Jesus told us to--but at a deeper level we ought to be more in awe of the simply fact that God wants to know me and Jesus died to make that possible. That is the real sign and wonder.

Application/Confession: In my frustration in what I perceive as unanswered prayer, I need to make sure that I do not ever devalue the greatness of simply knowing God. As Paul said, "compared to knowing God everything else is dung." He's right and I need to live in the joy and gratitude of that revelation.

PRAYER: I want to know You Lord. If You never do another thing for me, I want to remain full of gratitude for what you have done for me. I am a blessed man, blessed to know You and to be loved by You. Thank you so much.