Believe What God Says! 4-19–26

Welcome to the word for the week. There are times on this journey that will not always give you confirmation up front. In other words, there are times that God will speak and you will simply have to believe Him. Everything is not going to be said with a sign and wonder attached to it. There will be times when you will just have to trust God. You will have to believe what He says is true. You will have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He can do anything but fail. It is easy when you and I read the bible today to have assurances about what God can do. But have you ever considered how difficult it may have been at times to trust God to do something that had never been done until that moment?
 
Let’s look at a few things here. Imagine being Moses and being told to stretch out the rod in your hand while the enemy is in visible hot pursuit behind you. Now imagine when the waters actually part and you have to convince an entire nation to cross through the very place there was a sea. Now imagine being one of those people and seeing the walls of water on both sides of you wondering if they might cave in at any moment. It is an amazing miracle to this day but there were people that had to trust God in the moment for that to happen. Imagine being in that same group of people later in the wilderness and watching water pour from a rock. Or, imagine waking up in the morning to fresh manna that appears overnight or quail that show up every evening. The story was not written for them to read. They were the story.

The bible tells us that the things we read about were for our examples. They are meant to encourage us and to remind us just how mighty God truly is. The expectation when you and I face things today is to look back at the things God has already done. Those things by themselves should be more than enough encouragement for us. They should enhance our faith and belief in the things God can do on our behalf. The question is do they? When you read those things in the bible what do they mean to you? Do they strengthen you when you feel weak? Do they encourage you when you feel discouraged? Do you read those stories and like so many people do say that was way back then? Do you read those stories today and say you still believe? With all of the examples in front of us why do so many people doubt God today? The answer is simple. If we only see the miracles as something in the past then we will never believe them for the right now. The question is who convinced you that miracles are a thing of the past?

This leads us to an important part as we close this week. Faith is not simply what we speak. It is what we believe. You can know that God “can” move on your behalf but do you believe that He will? You would be surprised at how many people believe that God can do something but they do not think He will do it for them. The excuses are staggering but here are some facts. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. If He spoke it then it shall come to pass. If it is His will nothing can stop it. What God has for you is for you. All of the promises of God are yea and amen. That means it is for sure. If God be for you then who can be against you. These are not motivating words. These words are truth. They are powerful. They are absolute. When these words are spoken they prosper in the things they were sent to. They do not come back to God empty. So when God says you are blessed receive it. When He says you are healed receive it. When He says you are a new creature in Christ receive it. When He says you are blessed everywhere you go receive it. When He says He will never leave or forsake you then receive it. In other words, anytime God speaks believe it and you will receive it. It is that plain and simple.

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon