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"Jesus said to her, 'Did I not say to you that
if you would believe you would see the glory of God?'"
(John 11:40)
Who is your favorite action hero? We used to be limited in our choices of superheroes. Growing up as a child, we had Superman, Batman & Robin, Spiderman, and a few others. Today, we have many new larger-than-life heroes: Captain America, Wonder Woman, Thor, the Hulk, and many others (not sure about the Ant Man; talk about an oxymoron).
Superman continues to be a favorite. The dude can fly, lift just about any object, dissolve obstacles with his laser vision, and always rescues Lois Lane. However, there is one thing that cripples Superman, and that is kryptonite. It brings even Superman to his knees.
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This week, we have been talking about the stones in our lives that create havoc and difficulty. We have compared these stones to the largest rock in the world, Ayers Rock in Australia, and compared them also to kidney stones, those tiny objects in our bodies that inflict searing pain. Today, we are going to talk about the stone's nemesis that defeats the stone every time. "What is that?" you ask. It is faith. Faith is indeed the victory that overcomes every stone of affliction and rock of oppression.
Jesus responded to Martha's despair and pain with these words in John 11:40, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" The one key response that God requires of us in every trial and affliction is simply to believe Him, to trust Him. Fear and faith cannot coexist in the same heart. Especially in hard times, remember that faith and the glory of God are paramount. The glory of God matters more than anything. The key to seeing the glory of God, His power on display, and the breakthrough we so desperately need is belief or faith. Hebrews 11:6 states, "But 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 diligently seek Him."
Jesus' statement in verse 40 to Martha refers back to their previous conversation recorded in John 11:23-27:
"Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?' She said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.'"
Jesus rebukes her because she had already confessed that she believed in Jesus. Why now was she correcting Him and trying to inform Him about bodily decomposition and the stench associated with it? Why did she not just believe and wait to see the glory of God? The glory of God is seen in the power of Jesus to raise the dead. When people saw that, they could not help but praise God and confess that God had sent Jesus and that He was filled with the power of God.
I ask myself the same question: Why do I doubt instead of believing and then seeing God move?
Whatever the issue, it always comes back to this basic principle of faith: we either believe God or we do not. The lead singer in the Christian band Hawk Nelson recently said he no longer believes in God. His stones of doubt and severe questioning went unanswered and were not taken seriously by those in his life, so now he says he no longer believes. That is sad, and I feel for him, because now he has only himself and the theories of man to answer the greatest questions of life. He does not have the peace of God or the church of God, and the Holy Spirit does not live in him. He did not persevere to the end, an indication that he never was truly born again by the Spirit of God. Or was he, and God could not keep what He once had? I cannot believe that, so I must conclude that he only ever experienced a pseudo-conversion. I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21-23 of those who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many wonders in His name, and yet never were saved.
Believing is seeing not the other way around. God will always do His part, and yet we must contribute and do ours. What is it we bring to the table? All we have is faith. God even grants us a measure of faith, and we simply have to receive it and act upon it. The kryptonite that defeats and cripples doubt and fear every single time is--yes, you got it--faith.
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Help children build a lasting foundation.
Point the kids in your life to Jesus with a copy of the Bedtime Devotions with Jesus Bible.
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The DEMIC in PANDEMIC
Pastor Danny wraps up his two-part series on how we as Christians should weather hard times, like the COVID-19 pandemic. He finishes out his PANDEMIC acronym, discussing the last four points--DEMIC.
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