Trust but Verify

“Without somehow destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt?  If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.”

__Frederick Buechner

My dear and very smart Ruby C.,

My prayer is that you will be a great woman of faith…but not blind, mindless faith. 

Whether it is a preacher or a politician, or a teacher or expert or a boy whispering promises (especially boys whispering promises), or even an angel – trust but verify. 

That is a lesson we can learn from Mary the mother of Jesus (See: Luke 1:36, 39-40).

If I remember right, there is a picture of an angel hanging on the wall in your room.  It used to hang in your mother’s bedroom when she was a little girl and it brought her comfort and reminded her that God sends guardian angels to watch over us. 

Imagine with me, that like Mary, that angel suddenly appeared in real life in your room!  Pretty amazing huh!?  And imagine that angel declared that he had just come from God Almighty to give you a miraculous promise. 

One of the ways that you can know if the angel is really from God is if he gives you a way to verify what he said.  For example, in Mary’s case he told her that her aunt Elizabeth (a very old lady) was pregnant. 

In other words he said, “If you don’t believe me, go check out my story.”

Here’s the deal, being a Christian does not mean you check your brain at the door.  We are called to worship God with our minds as well as our bodies. 

Ruby, already you are showing signs of being a very smart girl; that is exciting!  People able to use their minds can do great things.  Don’t be afraid to doubt, to ask questions, even to “prove” God (Malachi 3:10, 1 Peter 3:15). 

Trust God?  By all means, but trust and verify. 

And this goes for everyone else who tells you to trust them.  Even your loving papa!

Prayer: Father God, thank you giving Ruby and all my grandchildren such amazing minds.  Teach them how to use their minds for your glory and for the benefit of the world. 

Help them to establish logically and soundly the reality and veracity of their faith.  Help them to see the fallacies and deception in the shallow arguments against your existence and the truthfulness of your Bible.  Help them to cast down the deceptions and walk boldly in their rational and logical faith.   

For your glory and for the benefit of a world bereft of sound thinking and absolute truth.