WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
“Superman; can fly high, way up in the sky; cause I believe he can”
This is the opening line of “Make me a believer”; a song from Grammy award winning Saxophonist; Kirk Whalum on his “Gospel According to Jazz Chapter III” Album.
For those of us who watch “Superman” with our children, the only reason it appears to the children that he is actually flying, is simply because they believe it. But the moment they no longer believe it, then “Superman” will no longer fly.
Well then, what are you or are you not believing? Through out scripture, there are instances where the belief or unbelief of God’s children affected them profoundly. Take Moses and Aaron for instance, God used them mightily to accomplish deliverance for the Israelites from the Egyptians. Yet there were always issues of trust with Moses and at the end his unbelief cost him dearly. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20:12 KJV .This was a most unfortunate end that befell Moses and Aaron.
The children of Israel displayed the same unbelief. In spite of the fact that they had witnessed the deliverance from the hands of the Egyptians, they still doubted God. How many times do we, like the children of Israel, having experienced God do great things in our lives in times past still doubt what He promises in His word? “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: Psalms 78:19-22 KJV After all that God had done for them, they did not believe that He could meet their need for food in the desert. And this did not please God. Let us not bring the wrath of God on ourselves with unbelief.
When we believe God, there will be no need to fret. We will wait for Him. It is clear that the Israelites were not always patient to allow God to work out the matter Himself. They tried to intervene to “help” God and it always ended in a disaster. Remember Aaron and the golden calf? Please God does not need our help. Let us be patient with Him to do what He has promised. “Whoever believes need never be shaken.” Isaiah 28: 16b NLT
Even in the face of the fiercest obstacles trusting and believing God will ensure that we do not get hurt. “Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.” Daniel 6: 23KJV
When we believe the promises of God for us, they come to pass in our lives. Time and time again we see that play out in scripture. “Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.” Romans 8: 13 NLT Mary, the mother of Jesus was blessed as she believed. “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 KJV
I ask again what are you believing? Let us believe the truth that is God’s word as we read and meditate on it. It will make us bold and still our fears. The mother of fear is unbelief and if we allow it take root in our lives we will end up wandering through our days achieving nothing and being unproductive. Even Jesus found it difficult to do anything tangible in Nazareth. “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Mark 6: 5-6 NLT
Let us then join Kevin Whalum and Lalah Hathaway and ask God to make us believers.
Dear Lord, please “MAKE ME A BELIEVER.”
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©