Check It Out For Yourselves

“Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for humankind” (Psalm 66:5).
“Come, taste and see, that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).

First, please accept my apologies. Somehow the Verse of the Day for Tuesday ended up getting lost somewhere in the web universe.

Now to the Verse of the Day.

One of the things people complain about the Christian faith is that it requires “blind” faith, that to be a Christian you have to lay aside your brain and science because science and reason and faith are incompatible.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. God is not intimidated by science and reason. God created science and reason. God doesn’t shy away. In fact, God’s invitation is “Try me out.” “See for yourselves.” “Come and see what I have done.” “Come and taste and see. I’ve got nothing to hide, nothing to lose. Try faith for yourself, you’re going to see how amazing and good the LORD is.”

The reason why many people get confused about the faith thing is because some believe that your troubles are over when you become a Christian.

That’s a problem because there is nothing in the Bible that supports that.

Even in the Psalm above look at what the psalmist declares in Psalm 66:10-12:

For you, God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let the people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you, brought us to a place of abundance.

Look, God saves us from sin and judgment, but God does not save us from suffering and sorrow. Suffering and sorrow is part of what it means to be human.

Believing in God doesn’t mean your loved ones will never suffer and die, or that you will never be sick and diseased, that you will always be wealthy and healthy. There is nothing in the Bible that says that. Besides, if this were the case, no Christian and their loved one would ever die, get sick, and suffer! That’s absurd!!!

When the only pathway to salvation for us was through Calvary and the cross, why do we think that the pathway for discipleship will be paved in gold and comfort? That just isn’t in the Bible.

What God does promise is, not that there won’t be any suffering, but that even in the midst of suffering God is present to strengthen and give us peace and joy. There is nothing in the created universe that can separate us from the love, the plan, and the peace of God.

That is our victory. That is discipleship. That is Christian faith.

And, God’s invitation to you and me, “Come and see. Check it out for yourself!”