You'd Have To See It To Believe It
I saw the strangest thing on my way to the chiropractor the other day. Amidst the morning rush hour, I noticed that the three lanes of upcoming traffic were at a standstill. There was no traffic light or stop sign. No accident that I could see. Unsure what was happening, I slowed as I neared the halted traffic, and as I drove past, I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a long line of geese (at least a dozen), walking single-file across the street. The first goose in the line had reached the edge of the median and was evidently waiting for traffic to clear before continuing his stroll. The others merely waited in line behind him, stretched all the way across the three lanes of traffic. It was one of the craziest things I've ever seen, but I guess you'd have to have been there to believe it.
The Bible is full of the impossible. The parting of the Red Sea. The crashing of the walls of Jericho. Rescue from a fiery furnace. A man turned beast. Jesus walking on the water. A multitude being fed with one boy's lunch. A Father sacrificing His own Son for the likes of us. I mean, seriously, if you think about it, the Bible ought to blow our minds!
I don't ever recall reading the phrase, "But you'd have to see it to believe it," but I do remember several instances where a believer said to an unbeliever, "Come and see." Same meaning, I think. In each of the passages that come to mind, the listener didn't believe what the communicator was saying, so the communicator's response was basically, "Don't believe me? Come and see for yourself." And they did go, and they did believe.
Unfortunately, none of us was witness to the miracles of the Bible. We didn't have the opportunity to "go and see." But we have something just as good. We have the record of all those events. We have eye-witness accounts of hundreds of the wondrous works of God. This journal is at our fingertips. We can read it whenever we want (unless you are reading this from across the globe where your spiritual freedom is limited). We have the opportunity each and every day to see what God has done, what He's capable of doing, and how He works in the lives of His children. And because of that, we can believe.
Did you believe my story about the geese? I hope so because it was true. You probably knew that because you know me. I have a tendency to be brutally honest. Even though you didn't see the mind-boggling scene, you believe it because you trust the source. That's how it is with the Bible. That's what makes it different than any other book in our libraries. It's not just a book of stories. It's a living, breathing book that details the character and faithfulness of a loving and just God. And because it is inspired by God Himself, we believe the accounts contained within because we trust the Source.
Would I like to have seen these things with my own eyes? Sure, and I hope that one day I will. I pray that part of our time in eternity will be spent on a tour of all the miraculous Biblical accounts (and those that aren't listed). I want to sit on the hillside and enjoy the bread and fish. I'd love to stroll through the midst of the Red Sea or walk on the water with Jesus. But for now, I'll be content to lose myself in the beauty and splendor of God's Word.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. - I Timothy 3:16
SaveSaveSaveSave