Tag: the word of God

Seeing and Believing

Barbara Weber

John 14:8-11 KJV

Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. [11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

Phillip did not believe all that Jesus taught. After many months of walking with Jesus, Phillip was not sure. He was present during all the miracles and wisdom Jesus shared. He saw food multiplied miraculously and he saw dead children raised back to life. Yet, in the stillness, away from the people, Phillip admits, he isn’t sure Jesus and the Father are one. He may have believed when the miracles were happening, but away from the supernatural wonders, he regressed to doubt.

Doubt is a poison that steals our victory. The Lord said no man who is double-minded will receive anything from Him (James 1:7). In modern times we see few miracles and our precious Jesus is in the presence of the Father. We do not have the Lord with us like Phillip did. However, like Phillip, we may say to the Lord, “show us and we will believe.” But the Lord responds to that by saying you must first believe and then you will see (Heb 11:6). He doesn’t offer proof to boost our confidence. Instead, he gives us the Word of God as our proof.

Phillip had physical proof, he saw the miracles, and still, he doubted Jesus. We do not see any miracles and we also doubt Jesus. So, it seems like doubt is a long-standing destroyer of the works of God. Whether there are signs and wonders or not, doubt remains (John 4:48). As modern believers we must stop using the excuse that we do not see miracles and therefore it is impossible not to doubt. This is a lie. Phillip saw the miracles and he doubted. We don’t see the miracles and we doubt. Clearly, demanding proof will never accomplish the will of God. Rather, an innocent and childlike trust in God combined with a decision to believe will result in confidence in the Lord.

Lord, please help me always have confidence in You. When you are moving and when you are silent, let me be confident. Help me keep my confidence when things are not going as I expect. Help me never blame you or demand an explanation from you. Instead, please give me the gift of faith that stands. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Discerning God

Barbara WeberLeave a comment

John 6:43-45 WEB

Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among yourselves. [44] No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. [45] It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.

How can we know when the Father is teaching us something? In the above verse, Jesus says the Father will teach people directly. The problem is, how do we discern what is of the Father and what is our own selfish nature deceiving us? We all fall victim to our self-centeredness at times. And in that selfish state, we can interpret lust of the flesh as prompting of the Spirit.

How can we approach obedience when our flesh speaks so loudly? We have a helper, God’s word the Holy Bible. The Bible may not contain every truth, but every word in it is truth. When we feel prompted to a course of action, we can cross-reference the Word of God for direction. Having a knowledge of the Bible will protect us from following the flesh.

We can learn God’s directions, even when they come through the inner whisper of the Spirit. We have the Spirit and the Truth to direct us, and they will always agree. The Spirit of God will not tell us to do something that contradicts the Truth of the Bible. So our first line of defense against the deception of the flesh is to know the Word of God.

Lord Jesus, please help me press into reading and knowing your Word. Protect me Lord from the deception of the flesh. I want to follow you alone, please teach me how. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.