Daily Devotion for Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Faith

 

"In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” Then they asked him, "Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father, Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also." John 8:17-19

 

God wants us to have faith. He doesn't prove Himself to us, but rather allows us to make a free choice, based on historical accounts and our own experiences and worldview. For the Pharisees, Scripture dominated the context of their thinking. On this occasion, when Jesus spoke to them about whom He was, He did not call down fire from heaven, nor did He reproduce even the smallest of miracles of those He had performed. Rather, he referred them to their framework - the Scriptures - and told them that the testimony of two men was valid.

 

He was one, and if they knew the Father then they would know of Him (Jesus).  They had to surrender self to believe based upon what they'd heard, and their own perspective.

 

There have been and continue to be times and places in which God miraculously demonstrates His sovereign power. For most of us, though, God doesn't appear in a burning bush, and it is rare that I meet someone who claims to have heard the audible voice of God. Instead, He reveals Himself to us in a myriad of small ways, and we must count on the testimony of others, who walked with the Christ, to trust in the accounts of the Word. Miracles still happen, but most of us are insulated from - or insulate ourselves from - situations where God chooses to show His power. I have been told that faith is a gift. For me, it is a matter of surrender of self so that the gift of faith can find its place in my life. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.

 

Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the gift of choice. Help me to live my life consistently with what you have revealed in your Word and the testimony of those who by faith have followed your will, and to demonstrate my faith through my walk with you.  Fill me with faith.  Amen

 

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