Let's Believe

Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel.

They did not remember His power:

The day when He redeemed them from the enemy

—Psalm 78:41-42 (NKJV)

 

 

After all, God had done for them, the Israelites rebelled against Him in the desert and grieved God. He had rescued them from Pharaoh, parted the sea, led them by day and night, provided for their needs, and these things were still not enough for them. They kept forgetting his righteous power and deliverance from the enemy. And in doing so, they limited God.

 

Do we limit God? Do we forget what He has done for us? Do we remember our salvation from the enemy? The Israelite's faith extended only to what they had experienced in their circumstances—to what they felt in each moment or circumstance they faced. They didn't trust God, who had rescued them from Pharoah. Too often, we allow our faith in God to extend only to what we have experienced or what others tell us is accurate. We forget God's power, which saved us from death. We forget that this same Resurrection power lives in us (Ephesians 1:19-20).

 

Our faith needs to reach past what we feel—what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. The Word of God needs to penetrate our hearts and transform us to believe past what we experience or what anyone tells us. The Word is our final authority regarding what is true or what isn’t. 

 

An example of the final authority of the Word is what it says about healing. Do you believe that Jesus is the same today, yesterday, or forever? (Hebrews 13:8)?  Jesus healed all who were brought to him or came to him during his earthly ministry. We can believe He heals today—just as He did on earth and the Cross. Do you remember what Isaiah said of the Savior to come? "By His stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)." And Jesus confirmed this prophecy of healing in Matthew 8:16-18. And the Word declared it accomplished in 1 Peter 2:24.

 

However, there was a place where Jesus became limited in healing and miracles. That was in Nazareth, his hometown, where he was recognized as just a carpenter's son (Mark 6:5-6). Because of that unbelief, he only healed a few. Do we limit the Holy One as He was limited in Nazareth because we don't believe Him for who He really is? “If you believe, all things are possible,” Jesus told the father of the boy tormented by a demon, and then delivered him (Mark 9:23). Jesus taught that faith was the key to receiving healing (Mark 5:34; Mark 5:36, Matthew 8:13). Jesus said in Mark 11:24 that believing was the key to receive anything from God.

 

Is Jesus without honor in our lives as He was in Nazareth? Do we forget the power of God and wander around in our deserts of unbelief?  We can believe God for His promises. We can stand on His Word. If you need healing, you can believe God for it—even though you don’t “see” it with your physical eyes. Even if you feel pain, you can trust what the Word says. God sent His Word and healed you (Psalm 107:20).

 

What other needs are in your life?  The Lamb of God has taken care of them on Calvary. He died to save you—to heal you—to provide for you. Do you believe it? You can trust God's promises revealed to you in His Word. The Word of God is the final authority in your life—not what you experience or what anyone else tells you. The Israelites limited God and forgot His power that had redeemed them from Egypt.  Let’s never forget our redemption in Jesus and the gift of His grace. Let's believe and not limit our God.

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

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