Friday, August 29, 2014

EMMDEV 2014-08-29 [Faith and Hebrews11] Proof

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews11:6

This is the age-old struggle we have...
Why can't God simply give us irrevocable proof that He's alive and then we don't have to struggle with faith?

But what _is_ irrevocable truth?
- Isn't the size and majesty of the universe enough?
- Or what about the amazing capacity to love and be loved that exists in my soul?
- What about the legacy of faith that has continued over 2000 years in spite of the persecutions of the church (not to mention its own failures)?

In some ways there is an abundance of proof for those who would see it...

Furthermore... proof is one thing, trust is another: I may have absolute proof of someone's existence but to have friendship with them, I must still take a risk and open myself to them. As a student I knew Brenda existed. I could see her, hear her, and even throw her into the sea(!) but relationship only truly began when I took a risk and started trusting her and opening up to her.

With God it is the same:
The Israelites had some pretty convincing proofs of God's existence and power - I think walking through a sea that would later drown the Egyptian army would have me pretty convinced - but then they worshipped the golden calf - why? Because they had not reached a point of personal trust.

No matter how little proof (or how much) we have, knowing God is a _relationship_ and not an experiment or theorem. When we take the risk of seeking Him, we discover much much more than proof!

And this is why we gather for worship on Sundays - to celebrate the God who rewards those who seek Him.
Have an awesome weekend!

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/