Hearing ABOUT vs. Hearing FROM

 


If you’ve ever been to church or Sunday school, it is most likely you’ve heard the stories about Jesus’ miracles.  Fantastic stories really…things like people being healed from sickness, demons being driven out, His ability to feed over 5,000 people with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, turning water into wine, and even the one about Him raising Lazarus from the dead.

 Perhaps in hearing these stories you’ve wondered why He’s not working miracles in your life.

Well, many of the people in Jesus’ time had heard about Him too.  But the ones who actually saw Him working (in their lives or the lives of others) are the ones who went to see Him.

 You see there is a difference between hearing ABOUT Jesus and hearing FROM Jesus, and that difference depends on the effort you make.

 The people living in Jesus’ time who witnessed His miracles or experienced His transformations were the ones who heard the stories, and THEN made an effort to seek Him out.  They didn’t wait passively for Him to show up in their town, rather they packed up and traveled to see Him.

 Today, more than ever, there are resources for people who are seeking to know Jesus better, to actually see Him working miracles in their lives and the lives of others. 

 The Bible is a wonderful resource, but for many, its words are sometimes difficult to understand.  And while there are different translations that can resolve a lot of this, there are also Bible-based churches that seek to relate what was happening in the stories of the Bible to life in 2023.  There are also wonderful free websites and apps like BibleProject.com, and the YouVersion app.  There are daily devotionals you can buy or request, like Jesus Calling and Our Daily Bread.

 Yes, for those who want to EXPERIENCE Jesus rather than just hearing about Him, you need to make an effort, you need to seek Him out.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8


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