I BELIEVE GOD

 Do you believe God?

Preachers are supposed to be men of faith. We call on others to believe in God—to have saving faith. We comfort others in their time of trial to trust in God—to have sustaining faith. We challenge, even confront the wavering with this, “Believe in God!”

Do we believe God?

Saying it can be easy, but showing it is essential—and that is the test. There was David—who brought down a giant, yet often in the Psalms we hear him downcast, “My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps. 42‬:‭3‬). Elijah stands alone on Mt. Carmel against 450 prophets of Baal, sees fire fall from heaven to consume the sacrifice in answer to his prayer, then slays those prophets. But, shortly thereafter we find him fleeing Jezebel and sitting under a juniper tree so despondent he prays to die. John the Baptist thunders a message of repentance and points to Jesus as, “The Lamb of God,” but later we find him imprisoned and feeling abandoned so that he sends words to Christ, his Cousin, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matt.‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬). As old Vance Havner put it, “It is one thing to stand on the banks of the Jordan and give it, and another to sit in the jail and take it!”

Do we believe God?

Some of the champions of faith have wavered, but they withstood in the end. Serving Christ will bring us into difficult, dark days. The devil will see to that. Paul was being tested in a storm, but his testimony was, “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” (Acts‬ ‭27‬:‭25).