From Hearing to Believing

John 4:42

Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

A little boy and his grandpa have gone on a camping trip. As they sit around a warm campfire, Grandpa has taught the little boy how to roast marshmallows. The kid is loving this!

The boy lets his stick tip too far down and the marshmallow slides off the stick and into the fire. The little boy, being little and none too bright, tries to reach into the fire and grab the marshmallow from the flames. The grandpa grabs his hand and says, “You mustn’t do that, the flames will burn your hand.”

After a while, the grandpa says, “Stay here, I’ll go to the car and get us more marshmallows.” As he walks away, the none too bright little kid lets his stick point too far downward and another marshmallow falls into the fire. Did I mention the kid’s not a rocket scientist? Without another thought, and without his grandpa to stop him, the kid reaches down into the fire and tries to grab the melting marshmallow. The child screams in terror as his hand gets burned! He looks at his hand, and each finger has individual little flames of marshmallow fire!

The kid has just gone from hearing to believing!

The people in Samaria heard all about Jesus from the woman he met at the well. She told them everything she knew about Jesus. They heard what she said, and went to listen to Jesus, too. After listening to Jesus teach they believed in him also.

There are a lot of people who have heard about Jesus but have never believed in him. They’ve sat in Sunday School and heard the stories but never really made the jump to believing in him. Our churches are full of people who hear, but haven’t believed.

How do you know if you believe in Jesus? You follow him. You let his Word guide your life. You live every day wanting nothing more than to live for him.

Have you just heard? Or do you believe?

Today’s Readings: John 2-4

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