John 20:29
Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A few nights ago, my husband and I spoke by phone with our three-year-old nephew, Timothy, who lives in another state. At one point, he said, “Debbie, I want to see you!” I replied, “I want to see you, too, Timothy.” He did not understand the concept of talking to someone on the phone and being unable to see them… and he kept trying to show us things – toys, movies, and more.
As we talked, Timothy’s mother got out a picture album and showed him photographs of us. He would say, “That’s probably you, Debbie. That’s probably you, Uncle Greg!” It seemed to help him to visualize us as we spoke… to remember what we looked like, based on our photos.
Doesn’t it seem like it would often be easier to communicate with God if we had a photograph of Him? Don’t we long to see Him? Yet Jesus tells us in this passage that the very fact that we accept Him on faith – even though we have never physically seen Him – is what makes our relationship so special and powerful. We trust in God solely on faith that He exists… and the evidence of His love, care, grace and mercy on our behalf. We trust completely that a man we’ve never seen died on a cross for our sins, was buried and rose again. We hold onto a promise that we will join Him in heaven someday for all eternity.
Timothy trusts that we are the same Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg who loved him unconditionally and lavished attention, food, clothes, shelter and time on him when he stayed with us. Conversely, Timothy’s little sister Zola does not know us. We have not seen her since she was three months old, so she has no recollection of us except for photos… no real basis for a connection. Yet somehow, I believe she will come to know us and love us, based solely on the words of her parents and brother – and our actions toward her. In a childlike manner, we Christians walk and live by faith… completely trusting God without ever having seen Him. Just like our little Zola, we operate purely on the word of others… and the actions and blessings of God on our behalf.
We humans tend to be such literal creatures. I find it truly amazing that we have the capacity to so deeply love and adore a God we have never seen, based on faith that He really exists. I find it even more incredible that God can love us with such a power and compulsion that we find this completely plausible - real and genuine. How can we deny His existence? How can we fail to trust and serve Him? After all, evidence of God is all around us… in nature, daily miracles and blessings, and answered prayers. With the confidence of a three-year-old looking at photographs, we can say, “That’s probably God’s handiwork!” – and know without question that we are correct.
Do you have “unseen” faith? Do you believe in God, even though you have never physically seen His picture? Do you require more proof that He exists, or are you ready to take a look around you and acknowledge that what you see is more than probably God at work in your life? He truly IS here… ready to meet your every need! What more do you require? What is holding you back from truly believing in Him? If a toddler can accept that the voices on the other end of a phone are those of people he loves (who love him, also) - yet he only sees them in photographs - can’t we accept that the God who is evident all around us truly exists? Are you ready to exercise the faith of a child… and be blessed accordingly?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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