Now I KNOW!!!

1 Kings 17: 8 – 24

On a scale from one to ten, how convinced are you that God REALLY does exist? I don’t think that it is possible for somebody to absolutely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, PROVE that He does exist. I read this book a while back called “The God Delusion” by THE most revered atheist, Richard Dawkins. Let me tell you, do NOT read this book unless you want to know what a blood transfusion from Hell feels like! When I finished, my spirit just had this sick feeling and it took a lot of WORD and a lot of PRAYER for it to go away. Richard did make this statement though “I can’t prove to you that there isn’t a God any more that you can prove to me there IS.” I think He’s right. He has chosen to live his life without God. I’ve chosen to go all in and follow Him and His Word. I feel like I know I’m right, but Richard also “knows” that he is right. We are equally convinced on opposite ends of the spectrum.

I love to hear people say “Is there anything God CAN’T do?” Most people say “God can do ANYTHING!” I understand the motivation behind this. However, just read Titus 1:2: God can not tell a lie! If anybody asks me this question, I say “of course, God can’t make a world where every person has free will and have every person CHOOSE to love and follow Him.” So, what does it take to be a 10?

The lady in the story met Elijah in a strange way. He just came waltzing up to her and said “hey, give me some water and bread.” She said “I’ve only got enough for me and my kid to have one more meal.” Elijah said “no problem, give me some, then make you and your kid some, then the flour and oil will not run out until rain falls again in the land.” Well, by faith, she did it! True to Elijah’s word, the flour and oil lasted for quite some time. Here is what is fascinating, even though she experienced this miracle, it didn’t make her faith a 10.

Some time later, her boy got sick and died. She was pulling all the “Why God’s” and “Why did you come?” and “What did I do to deserve this?” No different that you or I would do. However, Elijah took the boy, prayed for him three times, then the boy came back to LIFE! Notice verse 28: “Now I KNOW that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is truth.” NOW, she was a 10. She experienced God in a real and tangible way and she was sold out to God.

So, if you’re not a 10, what will it take? What would you need God to do? We see God at work all around us! We see trees growing, we see people being saved (hopefully you do), we see the Sun that HE placed 93 million miles away rising and setting. We see the beautiful moon He put up there a quarter of a million miles away. We see the stars that He made. Just check YOURSELF out, it is amazing the things going on in your body just to function. You really are fearfully and wonderfully MADE! (Psalm 139:14) The Bible says we were made from dirt. Well, when we die, we turn back to dirt. That should be enough to convince us right there. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to make every believer a 10. It wasn’t for me. I had to have God do something for ME personally. I had to experience Him and watch Him work on my behalf. Then, and only then, I became a 10.

God KNOWS what you need! God knows the desires of your Heart! The big question is: Are you SEEKING Him? And, if the answer is yes, are you seeking Him with ALL your heart? Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me, AND FIND ME, when you seek me with all your heart.”

God is not afraid of your questions. Ask Him whatever you like. Ask Him to show Himself real to YOU! If you aren’t a 10, ask Him to make you a 10. The answers come when you are consistently reading the Word, consistently talking to Him, consistently filling your head with the things of Him, and, here’s the clincher, FOLLOWING Him! This includes DOING the things He asks you to do, and NOT DOING the things He asks you NOT to do!

Here is what I know: His ways are DEFINITELY not our ways! When I was dating lots of different girls, He asked me to stop and follow Him for one year! I did, and I met the woman who would be my wife one year later! When He asked me to do my best at a job I didn’t really like, I did, a few years later He made me District Teacher of the Year! When we were trying to get pregnant for a third time after two miscarriages, we were questioning Him like crazy, much like the widow in the story. When we said “we’ll serve you if you NEVER give us children”….He gave us two!

Those are just a few of the things have made MY faith a 10! I can tell you the stories, but they won’t help YOU be a 10.

Go after Him with all your heart, seek Him and never look back. Give Him your entire life, not just the parts that come easy. You’ll find out, He is real, He does care, and He loves you more than you’ll ever know! It won’t be long at all………..

You’ll be a 10!

Later

Adam