Seeing is believing. We’ve all heard
the saying. But as with most twisting of truth that Satan plays on
us, this is another lie. Our eyes often play tricks on us, so that
what we believe to be true based on what we’ve seen could be false.
In psychology, they have several eye “tricks” like the one in the picture here.
In this figure both the lines are the
same length (81 pixels) but the bottom one appears longer because of
the way the brackets are placed on the sides. This is an example of
how what you see does not always prove that what you believe is true.
If you saw a fellow coworker searching
the drawers of the boss’ desk when they were out, what would you
believe to be true? Is the coworker a thief? Playing a practical
joke? Or maybe getting something the boss asked her to get? Seeing
does not prove anything, often it’s the interior motives that
provide the truth of what is actually going on.
In Luke 11, the crowd grew around
Jesus, wanting for a miracle or some sign that Jesus was who He said
He was. He answered: “Everybody’s looking for proof, but you’re
looking for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to
titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles.” (Luke
11:29 MSG)
How often do we look for proof that God is who He says he
is before we’re ready to believe?
In John 20, Thomas had said that he
would not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead until he’d
seen and put his fingers in the scars of Jesus hand. After seeing,
Thomas believed, but Jesus said “Even better blessings are in store
for those who believe without seeing.”
Believing is seeing. The act of
believing is an interior motive. It is what causes something to be
true or false at least in our own minds. Jesus said in Mattew 21,
“And whatever you ask for in prayer having faith and [really]
believing, you will receive.” Are we supposed to believe that we
got what we ask for before we get it or after? What would be the
point in believing after?
So what are we believing about our God?
Are we in a season of prayer right now, waiting for a miracle, but
not sure if we’ll get it? Do we not believe in His goodness
without seeing it? If we believe that God is good and that He wants
our best, shouldn’t we believe he’ll give it to us?
“For we walk by faith, not by sight,”
(2 Cor 5:7 HCSB)
God wants us to obey in faith, rather
than waiting for a sign from Heaven. If you know that God would want
you to do something (go on a missions trip, give more money to the
church, volunteer in the nursery), don’t wait for a sign before you
obey, before you “walk” in it. Prayerfully approach the project
and if you believe it is what God wants you to do, do it. I’m sure
you will “see” the results.
“Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)
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| © Seesea | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images |
If you have to see before you believe,
than you can’t call that faith. Faith is given before the event
takes place, every time. You have faith that the sun will set
tonight. You have faith that the chair you’re sitting in will hold
your weight until you stand up again.
If your child comes to you in the
morning and asks you to take them to the store, and you tell him that
you will later, will your child have “faith” that you will take
him?
If he went around the house all day
depressed and saying, “Mom’s never going to take me to the store,
why did I bother asking her?” Wouldn’t that show a lack of
faith. Or if your child said, “Mom, I don’t believe you’ll
take me to the store, will you take me now?” How would these two
responses make you feel? Wouldn’t you want to make their belief a
reality and not take them to the store because of their lack of faith
in you, responding, “Well, I was going to take you to the store,
but now I’m not.”
Now what if the child had faith in you
and waited patiently? While he was waiting, he cleaned his room and
mowed the lawn – walked by faith, showing obedience to the things
he knew you wanted him to do, even if you didn’t ask. What if, even
more so, he stopped in the kitchen just to tell you he loved you, and
thank you for being willing to take him to the store. I know if that
were my child, I might just give him a little extra money when I took
him to the store, and I’d be more likely to take him to the store
sooner as well.
So the question is: how is our
response? When we ask God for something, are we walking in faith or
are we murmuring and complaining? Do we thank God, or do we keep
bugging him with our unbelief? Are we waiting to see what we ask for
before we believe we’ll get it, or are we believing before we see?
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