Evidence of God
by Suzanne Benner
**Portraits of the Christ chat series. Join us in the chat room tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern as we attend to what God teaches us about Himself and our relationship to Him. http://christianwomentoday.com/
“In the past, [God] let all nations go their own way. Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (Acts 14:16, 17)
All around us there is evidence of God; not merely manifestation of God’s power, but also of His love.
Whenever we receive what we need, whether it is rain or healthcare or shelter, food to eat or clothes to wear or the money to buy them, it is the provision of God.
Yet the phrase that captures me is this: “[He] fills your hearts with joy.”
Experiencing joy is evidence of God.
If life has no meaning, except for whatever meaning I create, if there is nothing after our brief existence on earth, if life is only a product of random mutations over billions of years, then what can explain joy?
I feel pleasure, not merely heat, when the sun warms my face.
My heart fills with inexplicable delight, when my nose catches the fragrance of the blossoms on my Mayday tree.
Snuggling a sleeping baby in my arms grants me an unreasonable measure of contentment.
Inordinate happiness is mine simply by watching my children laugh and enjoy themselves.
All these moments, plus hundreds more every day, fill my heart with joy. And joy confirms in me that God is real, that His love for me is tangible.
~God, You are the giver of joy. Thank you for putting joy in my heart. Help me to remember that it comes from You.
Questions: How do you know joy comes from God? In what other ways does God give testimony to His existence?
Today’s Chat: Join us for a 15-minute chat about this devotional at 10:30 am Eastern, 7:30 am Pacific: http://www.christianwomentoday.com/chat/
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/authors/suzanne-benner/
11 Responses to “Evidence of God”
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OOPS!!! meant fresh new “beginning”..It is very late here..God Bless All!!! :)
gerry! Thank YOU for the encouragement you left on here..We will meet there..and it is neat that HE allowed us to meet through today’s devotional, too..You quoted one of my favorites in the Bible!! Lamentations 3:23-24..That thought helps so much, that EVERY day a fresh, new beginning..brand new page in HIM! ..Am picturing you healed and whole and rewarded for your wonderful faith in your challenge..Thank you, too, Winsome..Am grateful the humble words HE brought encouraged! Am humbeled every day and uplfited when reading these comments of all you dear sisters at the extrordinary faith in His children!
gerry! Thank YOU for the encouragement you left on here..We will meet there..and it is neat that HE allowed us to meet through today’s devotional, too..You quoted one of my favorites in the Bible!! Lamentations 3:23-24..That thought helps so much, that EVERY day a fresh, new begging..brand new page in HIM! ..Am picturing you healed and whole and rewarded for your wonderful faith in your challenge..Thank you, too, Winsome..Am grateful the humble words HE brought encouraged! Am humbeled every day and uplfited when reading these comments of all you dear sisters at the extrordinary faith in His children!
Fran, thank you so much for your encouraging words! We are all children of the Heavenly King! Here is a beautiful quotation brought to my mind, “If we could see the end from the beginning, we wouldn’t change a thing!” God loves us more than we can ever imagine!! And desires to take us home with Him, when He returns in the clouds of Glory! I hope to meet you there!!
Thanks for sharing, Fran! What an encouraging picture of His love for us.
Sharing a little glimpse of JOY the Lord brought before our eyes here a few weeks ago! On our side yard, nestled under a tree was a small Bluejay, flapping its wings. It must have fallen from nest, or couldn’t fly as quickly as its siblings..Before long? We noticed a Mama bird and Papa bird protecting the little thing. It had feathers, but was a novice in the flying process… A big squirrel tried to come attack..but Papa bird nosedived and chased the squirrel across the street! Later, another little Bluejay ..had to be this one’s sibling!..that was able to fly already came and sat by the little one that was flapping its wings, but not yet taking flight! At one point, my husband and I observed, Mama, Papa and the two little siblings all grouped together…as though they were “circling their wagons”.. After a day or two, they all flew off! But while we “observed” what an encouragement from the Lord..to see that every last one of His creatures are encouraged and watched over and provided for..Those parent birds brought food to the little one struggling to fly! And? This is exactly what he does for all of us..When we are discouraged, He sends help in ..right where we are..Just as we need! HE sees our efforts..every little attempt to “fly” and HE honors that..Our faith encouraged when there seems no earthen way..God bless ALL this day and may it overflow with Blessings of JOY!
Thank YOU so much, Lord, for seeing answered prayers on this comment page..Thank you for all you are doing for Chris and Barbara (and for being BIGGER than that BBD, even!)…Thank YOU that they are finding JOY in the midst of their challenges and are reaching out to YOU…Thank YOU for Julie’s daughter’s beautiful smile, again..and for a recovery so fast it showed other’s around them YOUR healing powers!! And? We thank you in advance for gerry’s successul healing next week on her vocal cord, touch her right this moment and heal, Beloved Father…and bless her amazing attitude in the midst of it! It is TRUE!!! You are JOY…And “the Joy of the LORD IS our Strength”..Nehemiah 8:10…Amen and Amen and Amen…We Praise your Holy Name this day!!! And, we rejoice…Philippians 4:4…Help us to say those powerful words every day!!!
Praise God for His wonderful mercies! They are new every morning!! I am having thyroplasty surgery next week. I have a paralyzed vocal cord, and have been only able to speak in a breathless voice for 15 months. This conditiion has taught me patience, and has brought me to a closer walk with the Lord! “Whatever it takes to draw me closer to you Lord, that’s what I’ll be willing to do!” What a beautiful song! Have a joyful day!!
I truly beleive that JOY, TRUE JOY, comes from God. It is not found in materialitic things that are in this world, true JOY, the Joy of The Lord is found in oour hearts and minds.
Two days ago I was in a crisis mode in my thinking and in my heart but thorugh fervent prayer I have been given a whole new Song to sing. The Joy of The Lord Shall be my streangth.
The inner peace, calmness and assurance that has been instilled within me once again can only be of God.
How fortunate we all are as beleivers in Christ for we are the chosen ones and even though we go thorugh many afflictions while here on earth the one thing that we can count on is that our Father whom is in heaven is watching over us and he knows just when we need to see and/or feel his magnificent sunshine during some of our most dreadfullest, darkest, stormy days.
I see a rainbow shining through my eyes this blessed of a morning after numerous, tearfilled days of agony. How Good the Joy of the Lord is. Shine Jesus Shine.
Barbara
Iam not one to make comments, but todays devotional really has been true in my life this last month…..
My 16 year old daughter was in a bad car accident a month ago, and I just give God the glory that she is here today! It has been along rode for her, being in three sports in school. But I get to see the joy of seening her day by day do little things everyday. She should have full recovery…but it will take time, the time that God gave her. The doctors told her it would be 4-6 weeks in the hospital and it was 10 days! That is God and all the prayers…I praise God everyday for the joy he gives us, some in big ways and some little. But it is such a joy to see my daughter smilie.
GOD IS JOY!!!!!! HE Most diffenently is JOY. NOT only because of what was said in this devotional but in JUST BEING ALIVE. I am so GRATEFUL and JOYFUL that GOD has made everything on this earth and that he has made sure I have a roof over my head, that I have places to go when things get tough every month to be able to eat. FOR making sure here in CANADA we have MEDICAL, THAT IS PAID FOR BY THE GOVERNMENT, FOR EVERYONE. I THANK GOD FOR my super family because there are so many others who are estranged from theirs.
THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO