Do You Have To See To Believe?

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, "He told me everything I ever did!" When they came out to see Him, they begged Him to stay in their village. So He stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear His message and believe. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42

This is a powerful story. These new believers were not Jews, but were half-breeds that the Jews detested. Some of these Samaritans had to hear Jesus for themselves to believe. That is similar to how Thomas wanted to touch the place where the nail had gone into Jesus’ wrists and where the soldiers had pierced His side before he would believe.

They (the other disciples) told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."  John 20:25.

Do you have to see to believe? What are you expecting to see…a baby in a manger…a man on a cross…Jesus glowing in the glory of His resurrection…Jesus peering down at you from Heaven…or Him coming back gloriously riding a white horse through the clouds of the sky? Can you believe in Jesus as the Messiah without seeing any vision or miracle? Can you hear Him speak to you in scriptures that you read…hopefully daily? I’m following the scripture reading that I’ve included on this blog since January 2017. Listen to what Moses said to the Israelites before they crossed into the Promised Land.

Mediterranean Sea at Tel Aviv

Do you have to cross the Sea to hear God's word? 

The LORD your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. "This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach. It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must ask, 'Who will go up to heaven and bring it down so we can hear it and obey?' It is not kept beyond the sea, so far away that you must ask, 'Who will cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and obey?' No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it. "Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep His commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in His ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. Deuteronomy 30:10-16.

The Samaritans there in Sychar believed after they heard Jesus speak. Do you have ears to hear?

Prayer ~ Lord God, help us to hear Your words clearly and to obey.

Daily Bible Reading: March 22 – Deuteronomy 32-34; Psalm 91

Happy 8^th Birthday, Isaac!

May God bless and guide you always.

Listen and Obey.

© 2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.  www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading