December 19-Belief Comes First

It’s Tuesday the week before Christmas and all through my messy house I was cleaning like a crazy woman yesterday! And in my digging out and cleaning up, I ran across an old Christmas card that my boss and I had designed several years ago. On in inside, he wanted to include a quote of Ralph Hodgson’s “Some things have to be believed to be seen.” (He was a master of using quotes to get across a message.)


I’ve thought about that quote so many times over the years and how it relates to our faith. First and foremost, Heaven must be believed before it will ever be seen, because obviously those who do not believe will never see the marvelous city of God. 


So often in scripture we are told time and again sight follows belief. Jesús told the Mary and Martha as the grieved over their brother Lazarus, they had to believe first. 


““Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!””

‭‭John‬ ‭11:39-40, 43‬ ‭NLT‬‬


And Peter tells us even though we haven seen him we still love him and we believe in him. 


“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬


But Paul explains to us in Corinthians that the Enemy makes sure to confuse those who are unable to believe without seeing, who cannot believe in faith. 


“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Some things must be believed first...that my friend is the true joy we find in Christmas. The belief that Christ came to this tiny little planet in the obscure solar system in the corner of this unimpressive galaxy just because he loves us and wants to spend eternity with us? And who are we? That El Elyon, the Great I Am, the Great God Jehovah of the Universe is mindful of us? Belief before sight. 


Today, count it all joy that you believed first and that you will see. Pray for those around you that have not been able to yet believe what they haven’t seen and ask the Father of Lights for use you in some way to open their eyes. 


Love you dear one, 

Pam

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