November 13 -- "Why Don't People Believe?"

 Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 7 & Psalm 78:25-48

"Why Don't People Believe?"

In Psalm 78, Asaph the Psalmist is reciting some of the awesome things which the Lord has done for the people of Israel. He reminds them of many of the wonders and miracles God performed on their behalf – like parting the Red Sea, leading them with a cloud and fire, cracking open a rock to produce water in the desert, raining down food from heaven, routing their enemies from the Promised Land, and many more. After all of this, why didn’t they believe? Why did they continue to sin and rebel against God?

Why didn't everyone believe in Jesus during His lifetime? He did so many miracles that it seems like everyone would have believed in Him, and yet they didn't. John 12:37 says, “Even after Jesus had performed so many miracles in their presence, they still would not believe in him.” Why not?

Why wouldn’t they believe? For the same reason some people today don’t believe, although they’ve heard the Bible’s message that God loves them, and that Christ died to give them new life, both now and forever. Many have seen the miraculous work of God as He transforms the lives of people, yet they still do not believe. It is a strange paradox found in Scripture – seeing a miracle does not always produce faith.

The problem is inside of us — in the stubbornness of our hearts and wills. We want to run our own lives — and we know that if we yield ourselves to Christ, we can’t keep on living the way we once did.  So, we hold on to our notions and imaginations and false belief systems and we refuse to believe the truth.

In reality, of course, people today come up with all kinds of excuses not to believe in Jesus or yield their lives to Him — just as they did in Asaph’s time and in Jesus’ time. Pride, a favored sin, doubt, peer pressure, fake science - these and countless other excuses keep Jesus out of peoples’ lives. Jesus taught us that “Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

But it doesn’t have to be that way, because He alone offers us lasting hope in the midst of a world of despair and sin. Don’t let these things — or anything else — keep you from Christ. Instead, realize who He is and what He has done for you by His death and resurrection. Then by faith open your heart and life to Him. He wants to do a miracle in your heart and life today! “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).