Witnesses and Evidence

In the courtroom, both the prosecution and defense present witnesses and evidence to support their views of the truth. With a preponderance of evidence or the absence of reasonable doubt, jurors or the judge render a verdict.

Hebrews 2:3-4 says, “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” God has given us many witnesses and evidences of His great salvation. This salvation was openly declared by Jesus Christ. His followers faithfully declared the truth, even in the face of suffering cruel punishment and death. The Father, Himself, bore witness to this salvation through signs and wonders. And the Holy Spirit bears witness by empowering various gifts through believers. The evidence is in, what is your verdict. Remember, God Himself will judge each of us based upon our response to His offer of a great salvation.

Fruitful Environment

One of our sons did particularly well in school under teachers who gave generous encouragement. He did not do so well under strict disciplinarians, not because he got into trouble, but rather because he didn’t receive the same levels of encouragement. As adults we are exposed to different leadership styles. We do better under certain styles and are often frustrated with other styles. It is truly satisfying to find the right environment for our growth and success.

Psalm 92:12-14 says, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age.” To flourish means to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment (Oxford Languages Dictionary). That particularly favorable environment is the presence and power of God in our lives. The presence and the power of God allows us to suddenly perform in an impressively, successful way, even into old age. So spend time in God’s presence and humble yourself in the power of God and enjoy bearing fruit, even into old age.

Consider the Incredible

We are surrounded by the incredible. We watch athletes accomplish incredible feats every day and YouTube videos daily document the top ten incredible plays. We see people survive impossible circumstances and are amazing at their fortune and resilience. Seemingly ordinary people accomplish the extraordinary and we celebrate them. But all these incredible acts pale in comparison to the mighty acts that God has accomplished and will continue to do.

In Acts 26:8 Paul says, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” Many people will reject Jesus because they cannot believe that He rose from the dead. But God is an incredible God who does incredible deeds. He created all things in six days, divided the Red Sea for His people to pass through, raised His Son from the grave on the third day, and saves those who believe in Jesus. Those who believe in this incredible God will be raised to eternal life in His presence. That’s incredible!

Asking the Wrong Person, Going to the Wrong Place

Working with government agencies can be difficult, confusing, and frustrating. You appear in the office that you believe can help you and they direct you to another department on the other side of town. Or they can help you, but provide you with long and vague instruction on how to get what you want. If only, we could find the right help quickly.

II Chronicles 33:12-13 says, “And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” King Manasseh and God’s people had walked away from God and then were defeated by the king of Assyria. From captivity and chains, Manasseh humbled himself before God and prayed. Even when we have rejected God, He still hears our cries for help. When we humbly return to Him and pray, He will grant us His favor and demonstrate that He is God.

The Wonder of It All

I have observed or even participated in some events, and then, at some future time, I looked back and marveled at what happened. In those times, something happened that was much greater than I had originally thought. People’s lives were positively impacted, and greater good was accomplished, while I was focused on something much smaller.

Psalm 147:15-17 says, “He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost likeystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?” Sometimes we become so familiar with things that we miss the blessings that God is giving us. We should view every circumstance from a God centered perspective and see the glory in what He is doing around us and for us.