Sunday, January 09, 2011

Do You Believe?

What does it take for you to believe?

I have been walking with Jesus for a long time so it's hard to remember what caused me to first draw near to Him. I remember desiring to do the right things. I remember wanting to know more about Him. I was a young teen when I made my decision to follow Him; I realized I could never be good enough to go to Heaven on my own. I needed Jesus. My epiphany came in the normal course of my daily activities; I remember sitting at the kitchen table listening to my mom explain about her finding the Savior. It made perfect sense for me to believe too. It was the missing piece. That’s when I chose to believe and follow Him.

In our Christmas story in Luke chapter two, there were two people given a chance to believe. Both were visited by the Angel Gabriel. Both were given pretty shocking news. Their stories are similar yet the results were very different. Zacharias was struck mute for his unbelief until he wrote on the tablet nine months later, His name is John, after the miraculous birth of a son in his old age. Mary was called blessed by her cousin, Elizabeth because she believed what the angel told her.

In reading this account I have been struck by belief and unbelief, two choices that I have every day. Will I believe God or not? I want to choose to believe God for whatever He says, in His word and in His promises. This is easier said than done when faced with impossible odds or the murmurs of doubt that always manage to crowd my thoughts. I struggle in the same way that people in the Bible struggled. I wonder if I am more like Zacharias or Mary in my responses.

As 2011 begins to unfold, my word to contemplate is BELIEVE. Because, believing isn’t finished just because I know Jesus. Believing is something I need to do every day while I walk with Him.

Believing requires faith and trust—in something. I have to believe in things every day. I believe when I board a plane I will make it to my destination safely. I trust the pilot. I trust that the mechanics inspected the aircraft before takeoff. I believe that my car will start when I leave for work in the morning. I believe when I cross over a bridge it will not collapse. I trust these things without even thinking about them. So, the question is, do I believe God? Do I trust that He is able to accomplish everything He says He can do?

I find that it is sometimes easier to believe God for the big things. I believe I am going to heaven because Scripture says if I am trusting in Christ for my salvation, because of what He accomplished on the cross, His grace is all I need. I trust that I will have a job to go to. I believe that God is working in the lives of those I love....you get the idea. But, sometimes it is harder to believe for the smaller everyday things--the things that are in my face. Somehow I think those are my responsibility.

So I have begun to read verses about believing every day and will pass along what I learn. I hope you will come along with me…there is so much He wants to do in us and through us. But, like Mary and Zacharias, we have a choice; we need to start by believing.

Will you believe with me? He is able because nothing is impossible with Him.

Jeanne

7 comments:

  1. Oh Jeanne ... your blog is so timely. I have been feeling 100% the same way. The big things I trust in Him.

    I know my bride will be fine.

    But the less important things gnaw at me, cause me stress, sleepless nights and anxiety.

    I so look forward to reading more about God in our everyday lives.

    Thank you for the blessings HE brings through your sharing.

    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a question with everything in life, isn't it Jeanne? Will we believe God -- that He is sufficient, that He is near, that He will take care of us, on and on. You wrote this beautifully. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good word, Jeanne. I believe with you! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Believe. A word so simple yet so complex. I'm adopting your word, BELIEVE, to contemplate this week, Jeanne. Thanks for offering this single powerful word today. God knew Mary would . . . and, praise God, Mary did . . .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tom, Pat, Beth & Sally,

    Thanks for your words of encouragement...we need to remind one another of His faithfulness and power. It is so easy to forget when we are the ones facing the scary stuff.

    Believing in Him,

    Jeanne

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Complete Jewish Bible translates the word "believe" as "trust" in every scripture containing this word. Believe is something I do with my head, but trust is so different. Yes, I will walk with you in this and look forward to the scriptures the Lord brings to you to trust. Thanks for the reminder! andy

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks, Jeanne!
    Maybe when we believe, we let ourselves be weak. This has been a weak week, so belief is what I needed to read about.
    Laurel

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for joining the conversation. Your comment will appear once I moderate. This helps to combat spam messages. Thanks for your understanding.
If you have trouble posting a comment, please contact me.