Can Miracles Make You Believe?
Will a miracle make someone believe?
The answer is no. A miracle does not make you believe. The obvious evidence is that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, those who did not believe in Jesus saw it and doubled down on their efforts to kill him and now the resurrected Lazarus!
Psalm 78 is proof positive of the stubborn heart of man when it comes to faith and miracles.
The first 31 verses recount all the miracles God had done for Israel... rescuing them from slavery, feeding them in the wilderness, water from the rock... splitting the sea... amazing wonders. But no matter what God did, they kept rebelling and refusing to trust Him...
Psalm 78:32 (ESV) In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.
So if miracles and wonders do not cause belief, what does?
Look at what it says two verses later!
Psalm 78:34 (ESV) 34 When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
What? When things went badly they decided to come to Him? Does that even make sense? Can we correlate this with modern life?
Yes.
America is the most comfortable nation on Earth. And in America, Christianity is fading fast.
Sub Sahara Africa, China and India pale in comparison to our wealth; South America is a far cry from our standard of living. Yet these are the exact areas where Christianity is growing leaps and bounds.
The reality is, we think we are made to thrive in comfort. But we usually get complacent and lazy - taking things for granted.
When the chips are down, when life is confusing and chaotic, we get more perspective than we could imagine! We tend to look to God or for God only after we come to the end of ourselves. Consider the Prodigal son. Only after the famine and the fair weather friends fled did he think of his Father and the care he showed toward his servants. The story ends with the well-to-do older brother mad, angry, resentful and outside of the party.
It is not God's job description to miraculously solve your problems so that you'll believe in Him. It has always been his method of operation to give His children wisdom, grace and gifts for whatever they may face.
Jesus told us He is the vine. We are the branches. When we are abiding, we are thriving. When we drift, we fade like a fallen leaf in early winter.
Let us draw near... and stay.
The answer is no. A miracle does not make you believe. The obvious evidence is that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, those who did not believe in Jesus saw it and doubled down on their efforts to kill him and now the resurrected Lazarus!
Psalm 78 is proof positive of the stubborn heart of man when it comes to faith and miracles.
The first 31 verses recount all the miracles God had done for Israel... rescuing them from slavery, feeding them in the wilderness, water from the rock... splitting the sea... amazing wonders. But no matter what God did, they kept rebelling and refusing to trust Him...
Psalm 78:32 (ESV) In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.
So if miracles and wonders do not cause belief, what does?
Look at what it says two verses later!
Psalm 78:34 (ESV) 34 When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
What? When things went badly they decided to come to Him? Does that even make sense? Can we correlate this with modern life?
Yes.
America is the most comfortable nation on Earth. And in America, Christianity is fading fast.
Sub Sahara Africa, China and India pale in comparison to our wealth; South America is a far cry from our standard of living. Yet these are the exact areas where Christianity is growing leaps and bounds.
The reality is, we think we are made to thrive in comfort. But we usually get complacent and lazy - taking things for granted.
When the chips are down, when life is confusing and chaotic, we get more perspective than we could imagine! We tend to look to God or for God only after we come to the end of ourselves. Consider the Prodigal son. Only after the famine and the fair weather friends fled did he think of his Father and the care he showed toward his servants. The story ends with the well-to-do older brother mad, angry, resentful and outside of the party.
It is not God's job description to miraculously solve your problems so that you'll believe in Him. It has always been his method of operation to give His children wisdom, grace and gifts for whatever they may face.
Jesus told us He is the vine. We are the branches. When we are abiding, we are thriving. When we drift, we fade like a fallen leaf in early winter.
Let us draw near... and stay.
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