“Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?""
(John 11:40, ESV)
(John 11:40, ESV)
Your faith will determine your destiny, your attitude, and so much more. Faith in God requires a determined effort to trust that God’s word is right, that God exists, and that God is to be obeyed. When you lack that kind of faith, your life will be missing oh so much!
Geraldine carried in her heart a lot of despair. When she was in her teens, she made so many big mistakes. Growing up in a dysfunctional household, Geraldine faced things like displaced anger, disloyalty, and much more in her family. Psychological problems developed in all the children. Geraldine felt many insecurities. Because nobody in the household was safe from her father’s wrath or her mother’s lack of warmth, Geraldine grew up with a fear of making any mistakes. The pressures of her dysfunctional household tortured Geraldine for nineteen years.
Because Geraldine could not trust her family and feared failure, she became perfectionistic. She believed that the only way she could live with herself and her insecurities was by making no mistakes that could come back to haunt her. When Geraldine did make a mistake, she beat herself up psychologically and emotionally. She even would cut herself to ease the pain of her mental trauma.
When Geraldine met Carson in her first year of college, she fell head over heals for him. And he loved her right back. But fearing that Carson might hurt her like her family had done, Geraldine held her love back. At times, she would clam up and act distant with Carson. It was a coping mechanism, she knew. It was damaging their relationship.
While walking with Carson one sunny afternoon, Carson invited Geraldine to go with him to a service in the chapel. She decided to go to the service, though she only wanted to spend more time with Carson. Geraldine didn’t really believe in God. At that service, the pastor spoke about the need for people to not only making things right with God but accept God’s love and forgiveness. For days after the service, Geraldine fought with the words from the pastor. She wondered how God could love her with all her imperfections. She couldn’t believe that God could just forgive her wrongs oh so easily.
Passing by the chapel the next week, Geraldine got up the courage to talk to the pastor. There, she and the pastor spoke for close to two hours about the topics of grace, forgiveness, healing and more. Finally, the pastor said to her, “If you place your faith in God, you will feel forgiveness, healing, grace and more!”
Geraldine responded in fear with the words, “I don’t know if I have that kind of faith. Faith has never been something easy for me.”
The pastor responded, “And that’s why you have never really felt God’s love and grace and forgiveness and wholeness. You need to put your whole faith in God and let God work through the rest.”
Geraldine took a leap of faith and prayed with the pastor to accept God in Christ. She asked for the Holy Spirit to enter her and cleanse all the stains from her bitter past. Upon finishing the prayer, Geraldine felt so much lighter. And happier. And freer than she had ever been! Surprised that faith in Jesus could do so much, Geraldine found herself bubbling up with joy for the first time in her life. Her faith not only changed her heart and soul and eased her mind, but it also helped her find true love with Carson.
Today, Geraldine is very different from every other member of her family. She exudes warmth. She radiates with love. She smiles a lot. She also has believed wholly in God ever since that prayer with the pastor in the chapel.
True faith changes you. A real trust in God affects your whole world.
In our scripture today from John 11, Jesus was at the home of a family that was reeling because of the death of Lazarus. Jesus was called by Mary and Martha to come quickly, as Lazarus was dying. Lazarus was the brother to the two women. Jesus came quickly, but did not arrive in time. Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The women informed Jesus of the death, saddened that Jesus did not arrive in time to save their brother.
As Jesus was ushered to the tomb of Lazarus, who was now dead four days, Jesus spoke to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). In a shocking example of God’s power, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. All who were gathered in mourning were amazed to see Lazarus alive again. Some people began to believe in Jesus, while some feared Him even more (John 11:45-46).
Look closely at what Jesus said to Martha near Lazarus’ tomb. He taught her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40). Jesus’ words convey that belief or faith opens the eyes of people to “see the glory of God”. Based on Jesus own words, faith is required to see the glory of God. Without it, you will be blind to God’s actions. With it, you will open yourself up to see the amazing works and power of Almighty God. Faith changes everything. It opens doors to the discovery of God’s power. It even opens tombs!
Those who do not have faith or who doubt God’s word will often miss the glory of God. They will be blind to God’s grace. They will go through life in the dark to God’s power. Like Geraldine’s life was changed completely through faith in Jesus, your life will be changed by a complete faith in God. Doubts will dim that faith. An unbelieving heart will ruin all the insight and miraculous deeds God could provide. Faith changes everything!
In many healings, Jesus commented that faith made the person well (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, Luke 18:42, etc). Faith is required for healing! Faith is also required for seeing the Glory of God! True faith is necessary to understand God. An entire chapter of the Bible (Hebrews 11) is devoted to the message that faith in God changes everything!
How has your faith been lately? Has any doubt crept in to dim your soul? Does your wealth make you forget to lean on God? Does adversity or pain darken your attitude and shake your trust in God? Talk with God today about your faith. Examine if your faith is strong or weak, failing or growing. Without faith, you will miss so much of God’s glory! I don’t want you to miss any of God’s grace sprinkled throughout your life!
Geraldine carried in her heart a lot of despair. When she was in her teens, she made so many big mistakes. Growing up in a dysfunctional household, Geraldine faced things like displaced anger, disloyalty, and much more in her family. Psychological problems developed in all the children. Geraldine felt many insecurities. Because nobody in the household was safe from her father’s wrath or her mother’s lack of warmth, Geraldine grew up with a fear of making any mistakes. The pressures of her dysfunctional household tortured Geraldine for nineteen years.
Because Geraldine could not trust her family and feared failure, she became perfectionistic. She believed that the only way she could live with herself and her insecurities was by making no mistakes that could come back to haunt her. When Geraldine did make a mistake, she beat herself up psychologically and emotionally. She even would cut herself to ease the pain of her mental trauma.
When Geraldine met Carson in her first year of college, she fell head over heals for him. And he loved her right back. But fearing that Carson might hurt her like her family had done, Geraldine held her love back. At times, she would clam up and act distant with Carson. It was a coping mechanism, she knew. It was damaging their relationship.
While walking with Carson one sunny afternoon, Carson invited Geraldine to go with him to a service in the chapel. She decided to go to the service, though she only wanted to spend more time with Carson. Geraldine didn’t really believe in God. At that service, the pastor spoke about the need for people to not only making things right with God but accept God’s love and forgiveness. For days after the service, Geraldine fought with the words from the pastor. She wondered how God could love her with all her imperfections. She couldn’t believe that God could just forgive her wrongs oh so easily.
Passing by the chapel the next week, Geraldine got up the courage to talk to the pastor. There, she and the pastor spoke for close to two hours about the topics of grace, forgiveness, healing and more. Finally, the pastor said to her, “If you place your faith in God, you will feel forgiveness, healing, grace and more!”
Geraldine responded in fear with the words, “I don’t know if I have that kind of faith. Faith has never been something easy for me.”
The pastor responded, “And that’s why you have never really felt God’s love and grace and forgiveness and wholeness. You need to put your whole faith in God and let God work through the rest.”
Geraldine took a leap of faith and prayed with the pastor to accept God in Christ. She asked for the Holy Spirit to enter her and cleanse all the stains from her bitter past. Upon finishing the prayer, Geraldine felt so much lighter. And happier. And freer than she had ever been! Surprised that faith in Jesus could do so much, Geraldine found herself bubbling up with joy for the first time in her life. Her faith not only changed her heart and soul and eased her mind, but it also helped her find true love with Carson.
Today, Geraldine is very different from every other member of her family. She exudes warmth. She radiates with love. She smiles a lot. She also has believed wholly in God ever since that prayer with the pastor in the chapel.
True faith changes you. A real trust in God affects your whole world.
In our scripture today from John 11, Jesus was at the home of a family that was reeling because of the death of Lazarus. Jesus was called by Mary and Martha to come quickly, as Lazarus was dying. Lazarus was the brother to the two women. Jesus came quickly, but did not arrive in time. Lazarus was dead by the time Jesus got to the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The women informed Jesus of the death, saddened that Jesus did not arrive in time to save their brother.
As Jesus was ushered to the tomb of Lazarus, who was now dead four days, Jesus spoke to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). In a shocking example of God’s power, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. All who were gathered in mourning were amazed to see Lazarus alive again. Some people began to believe in Jesus, while some feared Him even more (John 11:45-46).
Look closely at what Jesus said to Martha near Lazarus’ tomb. He taught her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40). Jesus’ words convey that belief or faith opens the eyes of people to “see the glory of God”. Based on Jesus own words, faith is required to see the glory of God. Without it, you will be blind to God’s actions. With it, you will open yourself up to see the amazing works and power of Almighty God. Faith changes everything. It opens doors to the discovery of God’s power. It even opens tombs!
Those who do not have faith or who doubt God’s word will often miss the glory of God. They will be blind to God’s grace. They will go through life in the dark to God’s power. Like Geraldine’s life was changed completely through faith in Jesus, your life will be changed by a complete faith in God. Doubts will dim that faith. An unbelieving heart will ruin all the insight and miraculous deeds God could provide. Faith changes everything!
In many healings, Jesus commented that faith made the person well (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, Luke 18:42, etc). Faith is required for healing! Faith is also required for seeing the Glory of God! True faith is necessary to understand God. An entire chapter of the Bible (Hebrews 11) is devoted to the message that faith in God changes everything!
How has your faith been lately? Has any doubt crept in to dim your soul? Does your wealth make you forget to lean on God? Does adversity or pain darken your attitude and shake your trust in God? Talk with God today about your faith. Examine if your faith is strong or weak, failing or growing. Without faith, you will miss so much of God’s glory! I don’t want you to miss any of God’s grace sprinkled throughout your life!