Do You Believe God?

Do you believe God?

Let me ask you again.

Do you believe God?

You might be thinking to yourself, sure I believe in God. But that is not what I asked you. Ok, one more time.

Do you believe God?

I was reading a book the other day that posed that question. It pointed out the vast difference between believe in God and believing God.

The world is full of people who believe in God, but not nearly as many believe God. The church is not immune to this either. Take a look at the way we pray.

Too often our prayers are exercizes in being pompous, pious, and timid. Instead of boldly approaching the throne of grace we politely, cautiously clear our throats and speak as though we’re not sure anyone is really listening.

In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus says,

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened"

Too often in our prayers, we are not knocking as desperate people seeking an audience with the King of Kings; instead of knocking until our knuckles bleed, we knock quietly once or twice, and then politely slide a note under the door.

If we believe God, then we will knock loudly, and persistently. We will knock until He answers, because if we believe Him we KNOW He will answer. We need to move from hoping God will hear us, to knowing He hears us. We need to move from hoping God will answer us to knowing He will answer us. Then we move from believing in, to believing.

Continuing in Luke 9, Jesus says, "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

God wants to give us good gifts. But we must ask. Now before someone takes this and starts praying for a 5 bedroom house, with a heated pool, Jacuzzi and 3 car garage, along with vehicles to fill it, let me say this. What we think is good and what God knows is good for us are often two different things.

While we think we know what is good for us, God knows. He knows for sure and without a doubt.

The problem we have is lining up what we think, with what God knows.

And on that note, I’m going to make this blog a two-parter. I will continue tomorrow, where I leave off today, so don’t read today’s without checking back tomorrow, ok? But it will be posted late tomorrow as tomorrow night is Bible study at church.

Ok, see ya tomorrow.
Pastor Dave