Go Deeper With GodSample

BELIEVE GOD

The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

—Numbers 21:7–9

What do you think is the difference between believing in God and believing God? One simply is an acknowledgment of God’s existence; the other has a trust factor that leads to relationship with Him.

But to see what that difference can make in your life, let’s look at Numbers 21 where the people of Israel sinned against God and He sent fiery serpents among them. The people quickly admitted that they’d sinned. So, God had Moses make a bronze snake statue and put it up on a pole. God told the people to look up at the snake and they would live.

Now, this was a long time ago, but they did have ideas about medical treatment, and looking at bronze statues as a treatment for snakebite seemed… unusual. You’ll probably agree that this is kind of a weird thing to tell the people to do. But here’s the point: The people in the story weren’t saved because they believed that God existed. Instead, it became an issue of whether they believed what God said.

Did they really think He knew what He was talking about? Did they really trust Him and His advice? Their lives were on the line. So, the people who believed God and not simply believed in God looked up at the serpent and were healed. It’s crazy but true.

So, the question for you today is: Do you believe in God or do you believe Him? There’s much that He has told us in the Bible. Do you really believe it?

Do you really believe that Jesus lived a sinless life that we humans aren’t capable of living? Do you really believe that Jesus allowed His life to be taken at the cross in payment for the crimes you've committed against a perfect Creator? Do you really believe that God is willing to make the great exchange with you—He takes your sin in exchange for you receiving His perfection?

And do you believe God when He says that you enter this simply by believing? That is the kind of belief that leads to Jesus daily changing your life. Believing in God may make you feel better at some level—but believing God when He calls you to obey Him is the path to an abundant life in Him.

Go Deeper:

• Take a moment today to check your relationship with your Creator. Are you acknowledging His existence but then just going about your day without Him?
• How can you fill your day with moments of relationship that lead you into an abundant life in His presence?