Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ¹⁹  So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good;  look, the world has gone after Him.”  John 12:17-19.

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Notice the growth started with the testimony of eye witnesses, proceeded through the hearing by others, and continued when these others “checked it out” by meeting Jesus. 

Each of us should ask ourselves:  “What works of God did we witness?”.  We will witness different works of God, but we should be faithful witnesses of what we witnessed and not try to pretend to witness something that we did not witness.

Some of us will witness God’s delivery from financial troubles.  I am such an eye witness and can testify to God’s faithfulness in this area.  

Some of us are scientists and can skillfully testify to the incredible design, complexity, diversity, beauty and function of creation.  They can build faith in others that there is God, the Creator, by their testimony.

Some of us have witnessed dramatic healing by God and can testify about such healing.  

However, I have not witnessed God’s healing of physical diseases, at least not in such dramatic and repeated ways.  But, I can tell others with such a disclaimer that I have heard others (whom I believe) that God does answer prayers and heal, and I can point to Scripture such as Psalm 103:3 and James 5:14-16 and tell others:  “Check it out for yourself.”

Here is what specifically bothers me.  There are those who point to Christians on the other side of the world (that they do not even personally know, at least well) as having financial problems, and basically say:  “God doesn’t deliver from financial troubles.  They are Christians, and God has not delivered them.”  Or, they may point to someone who has a continuing physical problem and state:  “God doesn’t heal.  He is a Christian, but God has not healed him.”

Let those Christians on the other side of the world, and those Christians apparently not healed, testify themselves to what God has done or not done.  Although they may have financial problems, they may joyously testify as to God’s faithfulness, because they have food and clothing.  Although they may still have physical problems, they may joyously testify that God fills them with great grace to endure with joy and to effectively do what they need to do.

Let us be more observant of what God has done for us and more willing to testify as to what God has done for us without worrying about the condition of others and without worrying about what others will think of our prior condition.  “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;  A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.”  Isaiah 38:19 

Let us be truthful and share what we know.  We can say:  “I heard from someone else that God did such a work.  Go meet them and talk to them.  Search Scripture.  Check it out yourself.”  But, let us not pretend that we are eye witnesses to something that we are not.  Let us not tell someone else’s story.

And what is the result of such truth:  such eye witness testimony and hearing and meeting and checking it out for yourself?  Today’s Scripture tells us that “the world has gone after Him”, even despite the efforts of those who oppose it.