John 1:18
No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I know we are “late to the dance”, but we are finally watching the television miniseries The Bible, which initially aired in spring 2013 on The History Channel. This program has zipped through the Bible with lightning speed and only scratched the surface in telling the story of God’s word with selective, often-underdeveloped snippets. But the writers/producers have still managed to present a compelling image of life in Biblical times – and left many hungry to grab their Bibles and dig in more deeply. And that’s a good thing!
One of the persuasive demonstrations of the first three episodes was the incredible faith of many people who never saw the face of God. They trusted Him…worshipped Him...and obeyed Him solely on the words of a handful of people who either saw God in some form as Moses did, heard from Him directly - like Abraham - or were visited by an angel who gave them a direct message, as was the case for Mary, mother of Jesus. Most of the everyday, ordinary people of Israel walked totally by faith. They trusted that those who led them on God’s behalf had truly heard from Him.
When Jesus came to earth, He revealed God to man in a whole new way. He didn’t use burning bushes, the sudden appearance of angels, or even the audible voice of God to reach those in His midst. Instead, he related to them on a more personal level. When Peter cast his nets and came up empty-handed, Jesus took him out to fish one more time. The nets almost broke from the haul…giving Jesus the opening to say, “Come with me and I’ll make you a Fisherman Extraordinaire…one who harvests souls for God’s kingdom instead of food for the table.” When Jesus saw the sick and the lame, He touched them and made them well and whole…He demonstrated God’s love and care in a tangible way. When people were hungry, Jesus fed them… literally AND figuratively. He embraced the children who surrounded Him and reminded the adults that there is a special place in the Kingdom for those with a child-like heart of wonder and acceptance. And He suffered…for His beliefs and on our behalf…and was ultimately tortured and crucified.
It may have been difficult for those in the Old Testament times to see God…to fully understand Him. And truly, if you watch this miniseries and study your Bible, you will get a sense of just how incredibly brave it was of many to step up and out for God. Thousands died serving a God they never saw. Many were tortured unmercifully because they claimed to believe in a God who had never physically revealed Himself to them. We may operate faithfully in an unseen God…but I daresay many of us will ever be in any danger for doing so. The “stakes” for us are pretty low by comparison to so many who preceded us.
Still, we can learn much from those who followed God in such a valiant manner. For starters, we can recognize that the God who loved and cared for these people is the same God who cares for us. If God could do incredible, miraculous things in the lives of the Israelites who followed Him…don’t you think He will do the same for you? Don’t you believe that the God who protected Mary and Joseph…Who guided them as they delivered Jesus into the world and shielded Him from King Herod…will protect you and guide your steps? Do you fully comprehend that the compassion Jesus had for the people in Galilee and the surrounding cities is accessible to you…and available for you to share with others in His name?
One of the challenges we often face in sharing the love, compassion, grace and mercy of God with others is their inability to get past a sense of His physical absence. This is where we have the perfect opportunity to say, “I know that God exists…that He will do these things for you…because this is what He has done for me.” We can cite personal examples of God’s power and care for our own lives. In doing so, we can essentially say, “I get what you are going through…and I know Someone who can help you!”
Are you ready to be the face of God to others? Will this be the day that you reveal His love and care to someone by offering them compassion and understanding? Are you operating in faith that God will meet your needs each day…and are you ready to share this confidence with others? Will you step up and out in faith in an “unseen God”… and let others see Him through you today? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment