January 12 - Faith, Do You Need to See to Believe?
- Cindy Rae Fancher
- Jan 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 28
Finding Your Creative Bones® - Daily 365 Day Devotional with Tangle © 2023 Cindy Rae Fancher, CZT
Can you believe without seeing, or do you need to see to believe?
Humans have such a need to see before they believe. In both the Old and New Testaments, you find story after story recounting and explaining God's miracles. Over and over, he demonstrates his glory. Yet we still do not want to believe until we see with our own eyes.
Are you sure you have not seen a miracle of the Lord?
Consider the wings of a butterfly opening and closing with grace and color of great beauty. How is it that something so fragile carries the butterfly just long enough to fulfill its mission to find its place to die and, as a result, to bring the next generation to life?
How do fish know where to leave their eggs for fertilization and safety? How do young salmon know what path to follow and instinctively know they must make the journey? There are examples of instinct in all animals and within ourselves. Perhaps instinct is one of the best examples of a God-given miracle, given at our creation because he knew we must have it to survive.
Consider the Bible. Is there a miracle in knowing that a paper book written so long ago has touched so many lives through several thousand years of weather, destruction, location, and language differences? That we can read the word of God and grow through it. We can read the stories Jesus tells and feel the example of his love and sacrifice for us on the cross. Could it be less tangible?
How do you find peace so many days after bowing your head in prayer?
So many things seem to point out that God is real, yet many doubt it. Why must you feel that God is only found in the big miracles? Perhaps if we look at the microscopic everyday, we will find ourselves overwhelmed by the sights that indicate God is real and present with us.
Hopefully, you can convince yourself that you do not need to see a modern-day example of God to know. Without a doubt, he is there with you right now. He, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit surround you with love. They patiently wait for your understanding and action because they love you.
Prayer:
Jesus, you gave yourself for me and all who have and will live on this earth. You are the only example I need to know: God's love and creation of this world and all people are real. So today, I ask you to strengthen my knowledge and heart to speak quickly and readily about my certainty. Give me your words, and I will state them. I love you, and thank you for loving me before I was born. Jesus Christ, hear my prayer and ask your Father to help me be the child of God he yearns for. Amen
a tangle originated by Zentangle, Inc.
Word of the Day
INSTINCT
Watch Cindy Rae draw TRIPOLI. Draw TRIPOLI with me!
Learn how to draw TRIPOLI. This video is from Zentangle® Project Pack number 15. Molly Hollibaugh of Zentangle, Inc., tangles TRIPOLI. Fast forward to 17:35 in the video.
I really like focusing on small miracles, instead of big and dramatic ones. I've had a few small miracles, for sure, and they are full of joy. One day, I was pet sitting dogs and cats at two different houses. When I returned home, I realized that I had lost my bracelet. I asked St. Anthony to find my bracelet and, a few days later, forgot all about it. Months passed, and I was again pet sitting for a bunch of cats. I had to go to the back yard to provide food and water for the birds and the stray cats. On the way back, I glanced at a table and, on top of it, was my bracelet!
We a beautiful thought-provoking sharing about the small miracles of God in our lives. I like to call them "God Things" because they appear so often and so brilliantly. Thank you for your faith in our God!