Jason Silver

Friday, January 17th, 2020

When I was a kid, there were a few times in which I put God to the test. I told Him that if he would only show himself to me physically, then I would believe in Him! I bargained with God, saying "Wasn't my belief in him worth such a display?"

I could not understand why He wouldn't just do what I asked him to do.

Have you ever cried out to God, begging for proof? It may seem insolent, but I think it's pretty common.

The strange thing about thinking you need proof in order to have faith, is that the two are not compatible with each other. The very definition of the word is "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual understanding rather than proof."

Let's talk a bit about proof and faith, because I can hear some people saying, "I DO have proof of my faith in the way God has moved in my life, or done this or that."

In one sense, that's true: as I rely on my faith more and more, in other words, as I exercise it, this faith grows and deepens. You might say, "Isn't this a type of proof?" However, each person must build their own faith for themselves; I can't bestow my faith upon someone else by sharing my experiences (though this may encourage a person to try exercising faith for themselves). It's not like a mathematical or scientific proof that cannot be argued with.

Another problem with proof is that it's not always as convincing as we hoped it to be. For example, if we look at the children of Israel, it didn't seem to matter how much proof they were given, their faith always waned. Their hearts still longed for evil. As it says in verse 9, the ancestors of Israel put God to the proof, even though they had seem his works!

God says through the psalmist, "So don't harden your hearts! Come, sing to me! Give me thanks!"

Will you join with me in singing to our Lord?

Amen.