"Did I Did tell you that if you BELIEVED, you would SEE the glory of God?" - (John 11:40) Believing is never an end in itself (doing something because it seems desirable and not because it leads to something else) because having believed, we will see the glory of God. We don't demand to see the glory first and then believe as the world does but rather believe first and then see the glory as the Word says. When Philip found Nathanael, he told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" but he asked, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" - (John 1:45-46) Later on when Jesus met Nathanael, he said to him, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." - (Vs 50-51) And in another instance when the disciples met Thomas, they told him "We have seen the Lord!", but he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." - (John 20:24-25) A week later, when Jesus appeared to them, he said to Thomas, "Stop doubting and believe ... Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - (Vs 27-29) One believed after having heard and the other believed after having seen, nevertheless both of them got to see the resurrected Jesus! It seems that God in his goodness allows all who believe, irrespective of whether they required sights and sounds to believe, to behold his Glory! However, it's much more nobler to believe God without having seen or heard ! 'Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith - the salvation of your souls.' - (1 Peter 1:8-9) God wants us to take him at his word, just as the royal official did, whose son lay sick at Capernaum. Jesus said too him, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe ... You may go. Your son will live. " - (John 4:48-50) The man took Jesus at his word and departed and found that the fever left his son at the exact time when Jesus spoke to him! 'So he and all his household believed.' - (Vs 53). Martha really didn't believe Jesus, though she said, "Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God , who has come into the world" (John 11:27), because she immediately said, "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been dead for four days." - (Vs 39) We too may say in the same breath, "Yes Lord, I believe. But Lord, ...", because our situation seems dead and beyond hope! If we believe his Word, we will definitely see the power of God that will change our situation. It might seem like an happenstance (a circumstance especially that is due to chance or coincidence - a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection) but it actually happened because of the divine connection! Amen.
290. Believe and see.
Sam Matthews. K
Updated: Aug 4, 2023
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