Believe

DEVOTION
1 THESSALONIANS
BELIEVE

1 Thess 2:13-14
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
NIV
There is no question when I heard the word I knew it was God’s and not men’s. I cannot understand why some people I know cannot accept that. They use that old excuse that the Bible was written by men. Yes, that is true in a sense, but those men were inspired by the Holy Spirit to pen the words they did. A history book in the classroom is accepted as truth and it is written by men, who were not alive at the time they write about. So then why is the Bible not factual or true about what happened in a time long ago? It makes no sense to me. I even have a harder time believing the classroom history books than I do the Bible. I think men rewrite history for they own advantage today. Those men who were inspired to pen God’s word had no advantage but rather most of them lost their life because of it. I know the power of the Word of God because it has done a work in me. It has changed my life for the better, way better than I could have ever hoped for without it. How can people not see the Word as from God? Why it that so hard for them? Or is it because they actually do know it is true and do not want to give up the pleasures of sin and thus simply say I don’t believe it is from God but just from men? I think that is the case in most that refuse to believe it. It simply confounds me why. I was so opposed to God, so against the whole idea of God. Of course I equated God with organized religion or church and all I ever saw was all they wanted was money. I was bitter and refused to accept anything about religion or God. Yet when I heard the truth and God revealed himself to me, I was completely blown away. His word came with power beyond all power. I could not do anything but believe. I could do nothing but commit myself to him and to his service. Once I heard the truth, I knew without doubt God was who he said he was. I am so thankful for his love and forgiveness, for his grace and mercy toward me. I am so thankful for all he has done for me, in me and through me and is still at work in all those areas of my life. He still is doing for me, and is doing in me and is doing through me. I could not live any other way, but to believe.