Thursday, April
7, 2022
THE BENEFITS OF BELIEVING
Mark 9:23-24
23 Jesus said
unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And
straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I
believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Through the years, I have had some
ask me why or how I could believe in an invisible God who did doubtful things and
promised mysterious benefits. It is not an easy question to answer, and usually
the one who asks thinks I am stumped by it. Perhaps I am, but I am happy with
the condition and not usually offended by it.
My usual logic usually runs
this way. If I spend my life believing in salvation and heaven and you doubt
the same, what will be the result? My belief alters my behavior and so does
your doubt alter your behavior. My belief requires me to adhere to a moral
code. Your doubt questions everything. My belief recognizes the rights of
others. Your doubt recognizes only your own comforts. My belief moves me to
become civilized while your doubt permits you to become savage. By this time, I
have usually offended the doubter.
The tiny word IF ultimately comes
into play. The doubter says, “But what IF you are wrong and I am right?” Well,
if I am wrong, I will have lived my life in expectation of the glories of
heaven. I will have lived my life respecting others and adhering to the rule of
law. If you are right, then you will hardly be withheld from a life of
selfishness and violence and at the end of life have nothing.
I’d like to quote from The Poor
Man’s Dictionary regarding belief. “If the servant of some kind and generous
master was promised by him a favor, which he knew his master could perform, he
would think it a base impeachment of his master's character for anyone to call
the promise in question. It is the greatness, and honor, and credit of the
Promiser, which becomes the only consideration with faith. And to take God at
his word, and to trust in his promise as God; this is the whole sum and
substance of believing.”
(From Hawker's
Poor Man's Dictionary. Biblesoft formatted electronic database. Copyright ©
2015 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
1 John 5:10
10 He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not
God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of
his Son.
Lord, confirm the faith of believers and cause doubters to doubt their
doubt, since that is their firm disposition. AMEN
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