Do you believe this?
This weekend’s worship will include the account from John 11 of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus arrives, He tells Lazarus’ sister Martha that her brother will rise again. “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” she confidently responds. Jesus then declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he or she dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus is the great “I AM” right now, who would be actively involved in your present and not just giving you hope for the future?
For many, the Christian faith is only about making sure one makes it to heaven. While one’s eternal destiny is extremely important, there is so much more to following Jesus and living in His promise, “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20) He would indeed, through the work of the Holy Spirit, be involved in every aspect of our lives - every decision, every fear, every goal and aspiration, every heartache and struggle. The question is, “Do you believe this?”
One way to answer that is to consider your prayer life. When Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually,” he is encouraging us to consider the wonder of having, through Jesus, full access to our loving God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to continue to work in us not only the awareness of God’s presence, but also the desire to involve Him in all aspects of our lives. When something good happens, we immediately praise Him. When something bad happens, we immediately come to Him for aid. When we are confused, we immediately ask for guidance. You get the idea.
Keith Green wrote these lyrics 45 years ago: Make my life a prayer to You / I wanna do what You wan me to / No empty words a no white lies / No token prayers, no compromise / I wanna shine the light You gave / Through Your Son You sent to save us / From ourselves and our despair / It comforts me to know You’re really there.
Amen to that!