What do you face today? What difficulty? What trial? You say, "I can't face the day, I can't go on...Christian, you are right YOU cannot. But, The Jesus in YOU can...
"The strength of faith is directly related to the strength of what (*who) you believe in." (Ray Stedman, commentary on the letter to the Hebrews) (*my alteration of the quote)
What is FAITH?
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1 NET Bible)
These are the days that challenge us. The sky seems to be falling. There is bad news all around. Like a tire going flat, the joy hisses out of us. We hear it from the pulpits and the success pundits: " Have faith!" "Believe you can and you will!" "YOU can overcome. YOU can prevail!"
We see the the center of attention, here is on us, our strength and our powers. Oh, how many times have we missed the mark with our own wisdom which tell us the lie: YOU can do it on your own strength.
We believe our own PROMISES. I promise I will be this way, I will not be afraid, I will have courage, I won't act that way again--I PROMISE!
What we do not SEE is the way out, the TRUE PROMISE, our Hoped For deliverer. Faith is Believing HIS PROMISE. "Being sure!" Being convinced!"
"By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 11:9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, 11 whose architect and builder is God" (Read all of this 11th chapter of Hebrews--you will be blessed...)(Hebrews 11:8-10 NET Bible)
If God told you to build an Ark would you?
Scripture tell us, that the born-again believer is IN CHRIST. And we are IN HIM and that we have HIS Holy SPIRIT. There is nothing in this truth that says we put ourselves in Christ. We could not wish hard enough or pay enough or DO enough on our own strength or because of our own performance to merit HIS GRACE. Christ is our PROMISE and OUR PROMISED LAND. There's only one way to gain The PROMISE. FAITH.
"Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him"
Imagine that heaven is just an inch or so above your head. There you are seated in Christ. He is not in some lofty place looking down on you from His throne --He is with you. He is IN you and you are in Him. You have immediaate access to Him. You could stick your hand out and He would take it--that's where Jesus is.
Do you worry? Do you strive? Are you anxious? Are you struggling? Ask the Lord, "what would you have me do?" Then, do it. And leave the results to Him. God will honor your FAITH in His Son.
Do as His Holy Spirit leads. He may ask you to make very difficult decisions, take specific actions or walk through the trial-- but you are not alone, He is there with you. And, believe His promises for your life:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jer 29:11 (NIV)
No! Jesus is not some success genie, He is shaping us and molding as as He sees the finished product--comforming us to Himself. Most often, the shaping comes about as the potter fires the clay--through trials, adversity, challenges--I have never known what a "smooth ride" really feels like and maybe that's also true for you.
Take your eyes off the problem and focus them on The Savior. He will get your through it. You are in the battle and have the victory--Not my promise. His.
You have seen or heard this verse many times:
"If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed," you could move mountains. (Matt. 17:20)
It is not the faith in Self, it is the Faith in The Only One who can. It is not strongly believing in yourself or your own power, but it is FAITH, even a tiny seed of Faith that He will reward.
Ask the Lord, what kind of ARK he wants you to build. When He wants you to build it. Where he wants you you to build it and when He wants you to set sail.
If you have time, watch the video--no, make time to watch the video, listen to the words and music at around 6:18 minutes in... God bless you richly today.
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