Not Without Reason: The Field of Zoan and Miracles--Something to Believe in Him For

The plagues of Egypt were for Israel. The Egyptians (not the people who live there now) did not get much out of the plagues. God displayed His power and glory for the sake of the children of Israel. The plagues were meant to impress the children. A pillar of fire, a cloud by day, the horse and rider in the sea, a mountain on fire with a great voice that terrified--these were little somethings God gave "to remember Me by." But Israel ". . . remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy, how he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan" (Psalm 78:42-43 KJV). Zoan was the capital of Egypt, of the Axis of Evil, if you would. God destroyed it to give the children reason to believe. It is detrimental to forget such a great gift as redemption by power.

God does not expect us to believe without reason. "They then went out, and preached every place, and the Lord helped them and began filling them with signs that they performed" (Mark 16:20 Alexander). The signs confirmed the Apostles' words. Confirm = give reason to believe. "And he told them, 'Go to all people and preach my faith in all creation. Whoever believes and declares it, shall Live (have Eternal Life), and whoever does not believe, will be held accountable. Signs then to those that believe, they who adhere to us'" (Mark 16:15-17a Alexander). This was and is the evangelists' bread and butter: "signs then to those who believe." If you believe and declare it, adhering to them, you get signs and wonders--healings and miracles--that confirm your words to your audience. It isn't the evangelist who does it--he or she just  preaches adhering. It is God Who gives the reasons, the miracles.

God gives us reasons to believe. As if the stars in the heavens and life itself were not enough. Look for them. Stories of ghosts and psychic phenomena first interested me. The opening of my mind's eye and a friend's miraculous healing made the phenomena immediate and personal. The baptism in the Holy Spirit and hearing Jesus' voice audibly I could write off as imagination-based psychological aberrations, but watching my fingertips grow out while intently holding deathly still was PHYSICAL. He transcended His power to accomplish that on and in ME. THAT I cannot forget.

You want to believe? Hang with people who believe, who live in--are conscious of--the Bible world. Ask God for a sign and be open both to seeing it and/or having seen it: "Who is it, my Lord, so I may believe in Him!" Jesus told him, "You have seen him, and he who speaks with you happens to be him." (John 9:36-37 Alexander, emphasis mine). Jesus gave the guy a reason to believe every day he saw!