Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Bleeve It!

"As you have believed, so let it be done for you" (Matthew 8:13). And so often it is.

These words of Jesus were for a specific situation where a man with an ailing servant asked Jesus to intervene. Jesus commended the man's faith as the best faith He'd seen, even among the Israelites.

But even outside of that context, Jesus' words bring a universal truth to light: As you have believed, let it be done for you.

Some people say we get what we pay for. But then I see my tax dollars at work and beg to differ. By watching today's children in Wal-Mart, I'm tempted to think we get what we cry for. In our miserable excuse for a justice system, it appears we get what we sue for. At the doctor's office, we get what we are insured for...sometimes. In politics, we get what someone else was bribed for.

But honestly...don't we so often get what we "faith" for? The hypochondriac's tombstone reads, "I told you I was sick" for a reason. What we believe impacts what we receive. (I'm going to type that sentence again in it's own paragraph and I'm going to type slow because I want you to see it and let it sink in).

What we believe impacts what we receive.

And what we believe is not always what we say we believe. Church folk love to hear a good message on a variety of subjects they have no desire to practice. Many "a-mens" on Sunday are not followed through on Monday. "Name it and claim it" is not nearly as effective as "Believe it and step toward it." Most churches are where they want to be right now, not where they SAY they want to be. As we have believed, thus it is being done.

Everywhere God shines light, the devil makes shadow puppets to shed a little darkness over the truth. So every time Jesus tells us of the simplicity of faith and the greatness that can be accomplished if we would only believe, the devil brings in his red-suited lawyers to pick truth apart with deception and lies.

This devotional is done, but our meditation on this truth from Jesus should stay stamped upon our minds for a long time: "As you have believed, so let it be done for you."

You have an outstanding chance of receiving tomorrow what you believe today.

"And his servant was healed THAT SAME HOUR..." (same verse)... I guess Jesus was telling the truth, eh?

What you believe can happen can happen,
Perry Crisp

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