Day 4- Courage To Believe

Bible Reading: John 11:1-44

A story that has impacted me greatly for many years is about a circus performer who so effortlessly entertained an awe-struck audience with all sort of intruiging tricks. He had ropes tied across the circus hall, and he would effortlessly keep his balance and juggle balls as he walked across the ropes. He also carried heavy weights effortlessly across the rope.

Before each trick, he would ask the audience, ‘do you believe that I can do this?’

Everyone would excitedly scream ‘yes, we believe!’ And then he would go ahead to do it.

He then gets to a point where he asks ‘do you believe that I can carry a human being and walk across the rope?’

Everyone screams ‘Yes, we believe!’

Great. He asks a guy seated in front to come forward so he can be carried across. The guy refuses. Then the next person too. One by one, everyone refuses and nobody would come forward to be used.

‘Do you believe I can do this?’

‘Yessssssss, we believe!!’ 

But nobody would come forward.

What does believing mean to you?

We’re Christians because we believe in Jesus, yeah?  But what is that to you? Is it just a verbal say-along- a crowd shouting ‘we believe’ but in reality is not living and taking actions anything in the direction of that belief.

In John 11, we see Jesus performing an amazing miracle, raising Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus longs to do- and is still able to do great and mighty things in and through us, but his call is clear:

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 NKJV

If we’re not intentional about our believing, we will carry a big Bible to church on Sunday, but live as atheists on Monday. Christianity is not an invitation to cute verbal say-alongs. It is an audacious life based on a heart that truly believes in Jesus. 

Do you actually believe? As you think about the year ahead, is your heart posture one of believing, or one of doubting?

Let me give you a little cheat code from our reading today: You see, I many times, like Martha, struggle to believe some really big promises. I’m human. And there is so much logic in my head. I’m not always in that super-faith mode. Notice what Martha does:

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again” … Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”  John 11:23-27 NKJV

Smart girl! Jesus put her on the spot and asked her straight up whether she believed that her brother will rise again. That’s huge! She responds by saying she believes that Jesus is the Christ.

Smart one, Martha!

I’ve learnt that principle though. Even when the promise seems to huge to believe and when things seem impossible, I can believe in who Jesus is! That’s more than enough.

Don’t become an unbeliever or doubter because promises and prospects are huge to believe. Focus on believing in Jesus.

May your year be filled with the courage to really believe!

Something to Pray
[Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 AMPC

So search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray, and make you unresponsive to the living God. Hebrews 3:12 TPT

Would you pray today for a believing heart that is responsive and inclined towards God and His word to you.