Have you ever asked yourself questions like:
“Why am I here?”
“Is there a purpose and a plan for my life?”
“When I die, where will I go?”
“Is there a heaven and a hell?”
The only place we can find the answer to these questions and others like them is in the Bible, the Word of God.
What is required is simple – having faith.
You already have faith and manifest it daily, possibly not even realizing it. Let me illustrate with a few examples:
When you go into a restaurant and proceed to sit down, you have faith that the chair will hold you up, right?
Once you get into your car and fasten your seatbelt, you turn the key and expect the car to start, don’t you?
When you take your medication, you have faith and believe that it will do what it is prescribed to do, right?
I see you nodding in agreement. (smile)
One last question – Do you have a brain? Have you ever seen it?
I see you smiling….you get the point! (smile)
Jesus said, “…Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22)
But, you ask, how do I get this faith?
Here is the verse that answers that question – “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
In the early days of the church, the completed Bible had not been written yet, so it (mostly the Old Testament scriptures) was read aloud by men like Paul, the apostle, and others.
We have the complete written Word of God, the Bible, so we can read it and receive faith to believe what it says.
But, you say, the verse speaks of “hearing” the Word. Well, feel free to read it out loud as they did back then so you can hear it!
If we want to know the will, plan and purpose of our life, we must first enter into a relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider these verses:
“…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)
Notice in each of these verses in John’s Gospel there is the connection of the Father and Jesus, the Son.
You may be a skeptic like Thomas that needs to “see” Jesus to believe. The Lord Jesus said, “…blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Here is the passage, which occurs subsequent to Jesus being raised from the dead:
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)
Having faith in God pleases Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
At the very least, I would encourage you the read the Gospel of John, “…that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31)
My prayer is that you also channel the faith you show in everyday life towards the God of Heaven, and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
My Faith Has Found A Resting Place (Eliza Edmunds Hewitt, author)
My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I came to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.
My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through His blood.
My great physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.
Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.