Thursday, September 25, 2025
Luke 16:19-23a, 24-25a, 26b-31 – [Jesus said] “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, … he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, … between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
The rich man is saying what people always say: “The Bible isn’t enough. If God wants people to listen to Him, He should do a miracle. Then we will believe.”
It sounds logical, and I might have even believed it, if I hadn’t seen the opposite happen with my own eyes. We had a man in the community, not a Christian, who was healed after we prayed for him; he became super religious and told his miracle story to everybody. His new faith lasted for exactly six weeks. After that, it was as if it had never happened—though we were friends for the rest of his life.
The problem is human nature. If we want to badly enough, we can always find a reason to disbelieve. “It was a hallucination,” we say. “People are suggestible. Maybe someone made up a story. Maybe it was someone else they saw. Maybe Jesus wasn’t really dead to start with.”
Jesus is right. If the Holy Spirit gives us His gift of faith, the Bible will be more than enough for us. If we are pushing Him away, no miracle will ever be enough to force us to believe.
Thanks be to God, we aren’t left alone to deal with our own hard, stubborn hearts. God has given us the Bible, yes; and He has come Himself into our world, to become our Savior through His own death and resurrection. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit, who can open our eyes and create real faith, even in us! And with Him working in our hearts, we can truly believe at last—trusting in Jesus our Lord, who has risen from the dead to give us life.
WE PRAY: Lord, deal with my doubts and help me to really know and trust You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions: