Faith is Believing

Yesterday, I had to get a few things from the store. My knees had been bothering me and since there were several mobility carts by the front of the store, I decided to use one to get a few items toward the back of the store. The speed wasn’t terribly fast, but it got me to where I needed to be... kind of. I went to make a left turn, and it was as if the wheel locked up. The cart jolted to a stop. I was thankful that my reason for using it wasn’t for a bad back or neck. That would have likely re-injured things. It happened multiple times, always when turning to the left. After going through checkouts, I told the worker that the cart needed to be looked at because someone could really get hurt. Without thinking twice, she said, “Someone will look at it later”. She didn’t have any way of knowing which cart it was. She didn’t trust my assessment. As I turned around to the left, the cart jolted to an awkward stop. I tried to move two more times with the same result. She immediately got on the phone and called someone to come and get the cart so that it could be fixed. The cart hadn’t changed. My story didn’t change. The truth became real to her. We want proof. We want a sign to convince us... even when it comes to faith. This is strange because in Hebrews 11:1, we are told that faith is believing what we do not see. When the Pharisees asked for a sign, this was Jesus’ reply in Matthew 12:39-41 - “... "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” Jonah was a foreshadowing of Jesus and the crucifixion. Jesus would be three days in the tomb. Jesus’ judgement of the Pharisees burned deep as He basically said that those from Nineveh were more noble than the Jewish leaders because at least Nineveh recognized their wicked ways and repented when Jonah preached. Our hearts will not be comforted by signs, but rather having an unshakeable faith in God. Lord, give us a faith that doesn’t waver or doubt, but trust You and Your word fully and lives it out with great joy. Amen