I am speaking to you because you are the ones who saw with your own eyes all the great deeds of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 11:7 NET
The Israelites who prepared to enter Caanan were a unique generation. Their parents had all perished in the wilderness because of their disobedience. But much of this generation had experienced the same things. The plagues in Egypt. The encounter with God at Sinai. God’s provision for them in the wilderness. And his punishment of those who rebelled.
They did not have this knowledge as something that was passed down to them from earlier generations. It was their own experience. They could not say, as later generations might, that the stories passed down to them were just legends and had no relevance to their current lives. They had no excuse for not obeying the commands God had given to them.
I was not alive for the events of the Exodus. I did not see Jesus as he walked the earth. And I have never experienced the types of miracles that are found recorded in the pages of the Bible. All of that happened long before my time. And it might be tempting, as many do, to pass it off as a thing of legend with little relevance to my life today.
But while I have not personally experienced those things, I do have my own experiences with the Lord. My life as a believer is primarily based on a personal encounter with God back in 1971, as well as his presence and work in my life since then.
I serve God today, not because of something I read in the Bible, although that contributes and is of great importance to my life as a believer. Not because my parents and grandparents were believers, although they certainly influenced me. And not because of anything I see or hear around me in the creation, although it does glorify him. I serve him because I have seen him work, in my own life and the lives of others around me, with my own eyes.
Amen ✝️✝️