BELIEVE IT OR NOT?

How much of God’s Word do you believe?

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES             by Sally Bair

Unbelievable stories

Fiction stories must read as believable, though they’re not. Yet many true stories seem stranger than fiction. Some publishers might classify them as fairy tales.

Many people call the Bible a fairy tale because of its stories that are stranger than fiction:

More than a million Israelites crossed the Red Sea by foot when the waters parted, yet when the last person reached dry land, the sea rushed back in and drowned their pursuing enemy. While wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites received supernatural manna and quail that fell from the sky so they’d have something to eat. Water erupted from a rock to quench their thirst. Those bitten by venomous snakes lived when they looked up at a bronze snake made by Moses at God’s command.

Noah built an ark in the middle of the desert so he and his family would be saved from the devastating flood that came from sky and earth alike.

Jonah, forced to leave his ship, was swallowed by a whale and lived to tell about it.

Jesus, at a mere touch or word, gave sight to the blind, healing to the sick, life to the dead.

Peter, when cast into prison for preaching the Gospel, was freed when an angel woke him up and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. The angel led him past guards to the outside of the city, where the gates opened by themselves.

Many other miracles occurred throughout Christendom, and many more are occurring today. Believe it or not, people are being raised from the dead in numerous nations throughout the world. Miraculous healings are taking place every day, everywhere. God is still in the business of drawing people to Him through miracles.

When Peter’s chains fell off, he thought he was seeing a vision. His new freedom from prison didn’t seem real to him. Is that the way it is with us? Does our faith refuse to believe in the truly miraculous, yet we say we believe in God? How “stranger than fiction” do we treat God and his Word? If something looks or sounds stranger than fiction, do we disbelieve?

God is unlimited in His acts of power and in His love. We can’t define or explain Him or His works. “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31)

Lord, we want to believe. Help our unbelief. In Jesus’ name, amen.