No room for the Savior

This is a different post than usual-- no cute pictures, witty subtitles, or funny stories. 
God has placed some thoughts on my heart tonight.


 After reading through all of the gospels in the last few weeks, I've been amazed at the new things I've noticed. Things that made me think, that confused me, that gave me hope and made me happy. 


Here is a verse that made my jaw drop. The disciples are talking with Jesus. After He is finished speaking, they reply, "Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God." (John 16:30 NIV)

Now they believe? These are the disciples who walked with Jesus for the 3 years of his ministry. The men who saw him turn water to wine, heal the sick, the lame, the blind, cast out demons, raise people from the dead, and walk on water. Just now, hours before His death, they finally believe Him? Check it out- it's in your Bible, any language, any translation (except maybe the Message, you can never be too sure about that one:)

During the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus asks, "Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?"

A simple question. It was almost rhetorical. After water turned to wine, sickness turned to health, the answer to the test should have been, "You could call down manna from heaven, Lord."

 Philip had seen. Philip had heard. Philip walked and talked with Jesus. Philip knew. But when the test came, Philip forgot to believe. He started crunching the numbers. Philip forgot who was at his side. This was the test: "How will I provide?" This was his answer: "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."

As if Jesus didn't know.

We pray, "Okay Lord, I've seen you do some pretty amazing stuff, but if you just answer this prayer, then I'll believe you."

And He does. He answers our prayer, proves to us once again that he is Lord over all and completely divine.

But we still don't believe Him. Why, in our human unbelief, do we question the God who so graciously shows us anew his power every time? Why do we wallow in skepticism and dubiety? Why do we hold back from trusting God when He clearly tells us who He is and what He has done for us?

We are sinners in need of a very merciful savior. Not to get sacrilegious, but if I were God, I would be striking people down left and right. "Why do you not believe me? Why do you question not only my existence, but my authority and written word? Why do you forget that I am your creator and that I died for you? You don't thank me for what I have given you, you disobey me, you reject me." We call ourselves Christians, we take on Christ's name, but we deny Him as Peter did even after he claims to really believe Him. Yet He looks down at us, in our iniquitous, selfish ways, and loves us. We who are "not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps." He loves us, enough to send his son to death.  Not for anything we do, but because of what He has already done.

Yes, I am only 14 years, 1 months and 17 days old. No I still have not read through the whole Bible. No I am not a theologian, philosopher, or Bible scholar. But God has convicted this fourteen year old girl of unbelief.

 I would normally worry about what people would think of me for stepping on the toes of people older and presumably more intelligent than me. My thoughts are controversial. But if I am not willing to sacrifice my reputation and social status (do I have a social status at 14?) how will I affect the world around me? I've got friends who do not believe in the existence of God, I've got family who I dearly love that do not believe in God. And I'm aching for them, but continually praying. I'm not sorry for speaking out so boldly. This is truly what I believe. This is no school project, not a chore-- this is my opinion.

Bethlehem, on the night of Jesus' birth, rejected their savior. A stable for the king, a manger for their deliverer. But we do the same today. There is no room for Jesus in our lives. He comes after I'm done with my to-do list. During the next commercial break. When I have time later. Then later turns into tomorrow, tomorrow into next week, next week into never. And if it costs me my job, my reputation, or my friends-- forget it.


The employee goes to work, but isn't allowed to talk about his religious beliefs. The pregnant mother kills her unborn baby because in America it is "legal." No room for God here. The whole separation of church and state gets blow up to the point where God is not even acknowledged as the foundation of our country, nor is His word allowed in the making of our laws, our regulations, and our ethical policies. We're in trouble. Without belief in God....no, without faith in the message of our Savior, America and other nations alike will fall--  fast.

One final thought-- will America go down in history as the nation that had no room for its savior, just as Bethlehem did the night of His birth?