A Personal Note from Pastor's Pen - Unbelief

In Genesis 18:14, God poses a question to Abraham and Sarah. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” It is a question that most of us answer much like Abraham and Sarah did that day. With our mouth we say no, while we laugh in disbelief in our heart. Faith is something easy to talk about, but hard to live. From Abraham’s struggle with faith, throughout every generation, there has been this inward battle to look through an eye of faith instead of worldly reason and logic. In Matthew 13:58, God records for us one of the saddest verses in the Bible. “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” The place this verse refers to was Jesus’ childhood town, the place where He was raised. It was in this place where the Bible says Jesus grew in stature and favor with God and man. There He had taught with astonishing wisdom and first revealed himself as Messiah. But although Christ had done so much there, due of their familiarity to Him, they would not believe. In turn, their unbelief hindered His miracles and mighty works in that city. Not that He needed their faith to enable Him to do powerful things. Rather, what good is powerful things to those who don’t yield themselves to God in faith? It is no eternal value to them or to God. So Jesus moved on to do mighty works for other people, in other places, where there was faith in Him. Is this not a perpetual experience? God is going to perform miracles, God is going to show mighty works, and do amazing things. It is just who He is. But where is He going to do them? Matthew 9:29 answers the question. “According to your faith be it unto you.” God will do them for the person, for the place, for the church, for the family, for the community of believers, who simply believe strongly in Him.