Do You Hear What I Hear?

Hey, have you ever heard someone talk about God and felt a little... scared? Or maybe you saw a movie that made God seem angry, judgmental, or even mean? If we're being honest, who would want to approach someone like that? Would you?

But here's the thing: Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ." So what we hear about God really, really matters. It can shape our faith and how we view Him.

Remember the guy with leprosy in Matthew 8? He didn't hide; he ran straight to Jesus. Why? Because he'd been listening. He'd heard about a God full of grace, love, and care. Think about it: if all he heard was that God was out to punish, would he have even come close to Jesus? Probably not. Instead, he would've felt more condemned, maybe even a little hopeless.

So, what have you been hearing? Are you hearing that God's out to get you? Does He want to keep you down or see you struggle? Because let me tell you, that's not the God I know. Psalms 103:8 says God is "compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love". That's a big difference, right?

Look at Jesus' actions in the Bible. He loved, healed, fed, and restored. Acts 10:38 even tells us Jesus "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed." So next time you hear something about God, ask yourself: does this sound like the loving, caring God that Jesus showed us? Because our faith grows from what we hear. So let's make sure we're hearing the good stuff."