Devotion
Testing Jesus
Frances Taylor

The Pharisees came to ask Jesus for a sign even though they had witnessed the many miracles of healing he had performed. They had heard him preach and knew the authority with which he did it. Why didn't they believe, what more were they looking for! We declare our belief in Jesus yet we often do the same. In our darkest moments don't we wonder where Jesus is? I know I have said, "Please just let me know you're there?" What about you? We see people pick up pennies from the sidewalk and if the date on it is the same as the birth or death year of someone we love, we think this is a sign that they are in heaven. How different is this from the Pharisees?

Our faith is tested every day. Sometimes it is tested in small ways, sometimes in a big way. It is tested when someone we love is seriously ill or dies. We ask, "Why God? He was a good person, prayed, went to church. Why him?" Or we lose our job just as our children are ready for college. Why me? Wildfires rage and hundreds lose their homes. Storms rage and lives are lost. Haven't you ever wondered how a good God could let things like this happen? We are not that different from the Pharisees. Some people allow the doubts to turn into denial that God exists. The rest of us hang on knowing that God doesn't cause bad things, he helps us get through them.

Prayer

Loving God, forgive me when I doubt, help me keep my faith strong enough to withstand the storms that this life brings me. Amen.