Beyond Belief

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. (John 11:14-15)

Thought For Today: 
Throughout scripture, Jesus allowed many things to happen to get His disciples to believe in the miraculous.  The disciples, seemed to be stuck in their unbelief.  Many today, even though they are born again and see God at work on a continuous basis, are like the disciples were, stuck in their unbelief.  The disciples witnessed the miracles that Jesus did, and yet they had trouble with believing. In today's  passage, Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, died.  Martha and  Mary told Jesus that if  He had been there sooner, Lazarus would not have died (John 11:21;32).  And Jesus told the disciples that He was glad for their sake that He was not there sooner because this miracle would raise their level of belief.  However, we find that even with the raising of Lazarus, some still did not believe.  

Paul wrote to the church at Rome, "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged" (Romans 3:3-4).  Our ability to trust God and to take Him at His word should not be solely based on seeing, but on our faith as well.  If we will walk by our faith and not our sight, we can take Christ at His word and live victoriously in this world.