Reason
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”
I heard one time that Reason was the opposite of Faith. I have really begun to question that concept for many years. Having faith is not for the uneducated and uninformed. There are reasons for what I believe and I believe that God is good with using my brain, which He gave me, to deepen my understanding of what He’s doing and Who He is.
Jesus taught with authority and purpose. He was a day or so journey away when He heard of His friend Lazarus getting very sick. He didn’t rush to his side to heal Lazarus from his sickness, instead Jesus had something a bit bigger in mind. Check this out….
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:11-15 NIV)Jesus clearly has a plan to take His ministry with His disciples and His friends to a whole new level. He delayed his trip to Bethany so that He could reveal more of Who He is. Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary & Martha. You could tell that there was a close-knit relationship and friendship among them. Jesus wept when He saw His friends Mary & Martha weeping. He blew them away when Lazarus came forth. Check this out…
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:38-44 NIV)I can’t imagine the scene that day when a cadaver comes back to life. Jesus not only shook up His friends and His disciples when He raised Lazarus, but He shook up the religious leaders. How could they explain Lazarus, once dead now very much alive? Jesus gave His disciples many reasons to believe.
I have not seen Jesus literally raise someone from the dead. I’ve seen Him comfort the hurting. I’ve seen sick people healed in His name. I know that I’ve felt His very Presence in my life journey many times along the way. I believe in Him because I can’t explain or reason away the things I’ve seen and heard Him do. His Presence is too powerful to deny and too gentle to ignore. I do believe and I’ve used both Reason and Faith to come to that conclusion.
Pressing On! Dwayne