Do You Believe?
Brought out of slavery in Egypt. Saved from lions. Victorious in battle. The Word of God is full of stories of deliverance, full of accounts of God showing Himself strong as the Deliverer of His people. He hears His people's cry. He delivers them from their distress. We see it again and again.
But, do you believe it?
Do you truly believe God rescued an entire community from slavery and delivered them from a pursuing army by creating a pathway through the sea? Do you believe He’s the same God you can speak to right now?
Do you believe Jesus gave sight to a man who was born blind? Do you believe He is still able to perform miracles?
Do you believe a man who plotted murder against God’s people could suddenly, miraculously have a change of heart and become one of His greatest advocates? God did that with Saul who became Paul. When you think of the most wicked people in the world today, do you believe God could save and change them in the same way?
The God who is with you right now is the same God who delivered in every one of those circumstances. He can deliver you, too!
The Living Word of God
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that it’s just another book.
In fact, many Christians treat Scripture as if it’s just a collection of ancient letters and books that inform us about God and religious matters.
While the Bible is certainly a collection of ancient documents, it is also much more than that. It is the very word of God. The Bible is inspired by God, which means He spoke through humans to create these letters and books.
More than that though, God’s Word is living and active. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to speak to us even today. This is what makes Scripture distinct from any other book.
James tells us in James 1:22 that the power of Scripture doesn’t just come by hearing it, but by living it out.
Scripture has the power to radically change the way we live, but we must take the effort to first read it, and then do what it says.
James goes on to say in verses 23 and 24 that anyone who reads Scripture and doesn’t follow God’s way ...