July 15, 2012

BELIEVING God or just believing IN God???

What a difference in meaning a little word like “in” can make.

Two different questions:

Am I believing God?

Or just IN God?

No doubt I believe IN God. I believe IN HisPower. I believe IN His glory. But am I living a life that BELIEVES GOD?  Believes God in every moment and in everystep?

Am I believing God to be God, the God of the Bible,or the God of my expectations, which are much more limited in scope than thetruth of who He really is?

Makes me think of the story of Lazarus beingraised from the dead.

Martha and Mary ask for Jesus. They believe in Him.  They believe in His power to heal.  But He does not arrive until after Lazarus has passed away, already buried in the tomb for four days. I don’t know all the thoughts whirring through Mary and Martha’smind at that point, but I know some questions I would have:  Why did He not arrive earlier?  Why did He not come to heal him? Now what? Why did Lazarus have to die?

Martha says to Christ, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:22).  She believes in His power and His authority.  But when He tells her that Lazarus will rise again, she makes an assumption that makes sense to her logically, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (John 11:24). She believes IN Him, but she isn’t believing Him at the moment. 

Her expectation had been for Christ to arrive and heal Lazarus before death.

Christ met a need beyond her expectations.

Am I merely believing IN God today?

Can I believe Him beyond my expectations?