A week ago I blogged about the difference between believing in God and believing God. (An Important Preposition) Within hours of hearing the words “pancreatic cancer,” Mary had held up her blue cord bracelet and repeated the truth she believed with all her heart:”I’m believing God!”
The night we tied those cords around our wrists last fall, Mary said, “I couldn’t find blue ribbon, but I did find blue embroidery thread. I hope it lasts through our 10 week study.”
Our study is on hold these days, and though the embroidery thread has held up, it’s gotten thinner and thinner. A few days ago, Mary called and said, “My blue cord just broke.”
Her daughter Marta retied what little was left, but the next day that, too, came apart. We talked about the tightly-tied bond Mary has with her Lord and that her blue “bracelet” was nothing but a representation of the real thing. Her faith hasn’t wavered, and she still believes God.
The Lord doesn’t want us to put our faith in things that can break or be taken away, whether it’s a bracelet, a job, a bank account, a possession, or a person. That’s why his Word repeatedly emphasizes that he is the only everlasting, unshakeable, immoveable, permanent “possession”.
But the age-old problem of believing without seeing repeatedly plagues us, especially during times of crisis. God knew that would be a stumbling block for us, so he did something about it.
He sent Jesus.
Scripture tells us Jesus is the visible representation of an invisible God, and by reading the Bible (especially the 4 Gospels), we see who he is, how he lived, and what he said during his time on earth. We’re shown everything from his babyhood through his death (and resurrection) at age 33. We’re given the details of what his life was like before he was born and are even told about his 9 months inside the Virgin Mary’s womb. God knew we needed to “see”, and he showed us.
The bottom line is that as we get to know Jesus, we are getting to know God. And when we believe Jesus, we are believing God.
Mary isn’t worried that her blue cord is no longer prompting her to remember that she believes God. Her confidence was never in that 6 inches of blue embroidery thread but has always been in the God she couldn’t see, and she’s still believing him.
By the way, she still has her wispy bit of faded blue thread. She saved it for some special purpose down the road, which she knows the Lord will show her when the time is right. And maybe it will serve as a helpful visual for someone who is still on their way to believing God.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God… He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see… God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ” (Colossians 1:15,16,19)
Mary’s prayer requests:
- For God’s comfort of Bervin and her children
- For successful physical fortification before surgery
- For the surgeon, Dr. Truty