Living Life with Jesus: Part 4

Living Life with Jesus: Part 4
Brad Reiches
Feb 6 2007 09:46AM

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February, 6, 2007
GodThoughtsWired!

"Living Life with Jesus"

PART 4

"You will know them by their fruit."

Matthew 7:20

The other day I admitted, "I am open to being 'crazy,' but the fruit of my life suggests otherwise."  Indeed.  When I examine my life as I periodically do, I find that I am quite satisfied with the fruit.  By "fruit" I mean EVIDENCE.  The evidence that God is real.  The evidence that God is good.  The evidence that suggests that God's ways are the best ways.  

So what are some examples of this "fruit?"  Is there any evidence in my life that others could look to and find hard to simply chalk-up as "coincidence?"  What can I point to in my life that assures me that God is real?

INNER EVIDENCES. 

Answered prayer.  The number of prayers that God has answered over the years may well be the single biggest "faith-builder" in my life.  I can't imagine life without divine intervention.  The Bible says, "And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phipippians 4:19).  My life has been a progression of learning to depend on God ever-increasingly?  Why?  Because over the years I have found that God is trustworthy.  I have found that He is real!  I have come to depend on God for virtually everything because when I call on Him, He hears...and He acts!

The sense of His presence.  There have been times in my life when the sense of God's presence was so strong that it dropped me to my knees in worship.  "The Lord is intimate with the upright" (Proverbs 3:32).  Most of the time these occurences have taken place after a dilligent time of seeking Him.  What is the presence of God like?  It's like the wind.  Air is around us all the time, but when the wind blows we can feel it.  We notice it.  When the wind blows strong upon us it affects us.  Such is the presence of God.

The sound of His voice.  "My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me" (John 10:28).  I've never heard the audible voice of God, but there have been times in my life when the inner voice of God has been as real as if it had been audible.  "And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20). 

The sight of His hand.  I mean the undeniable work that I see God do.  In my own life.  In the lives of others, and what I see God doing in the world around me.  The Bible says that all of creation "shouts" of His handywork (see Romans 1:18-20).  Twenty-first century science has discovered that the complexities of the human body and the world around us are far too great to have happened by chance.  The "fingerprints of God" are all around us...for those who are willing to look!

These "inner-evidences" are very important to me however, I am keenly aware that the skeptics are still not convinced.  Tomorrow I'll begin to take a look at the "outer-evidences" that are much more difficult to explain away.

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