Faith: Walking the Walk

The story is told of a village that was in the midst of a drought and the local minister called upon his parishioners to come out for a day of prayer; they would pray from rain. On the day designated, quite a number of people including the church's officers turned out. Standing out like a sore thumb among them was a little boy. Not because of his physical appearance, or what he was wearing, but because he was the only one who came with an umbrella.

What is the point of praying if one isn't going to believe that the thing being prayed for is going to be received? In Christian circles it is called praying in faith. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us, "Faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]" (Hebrews 11:1, AMP). While most of us are familiar with that portion of text, how many of us have actually walked it out? I recall sometime ago asking someone, "If you have no food to cook and prayed for God to provide some, what do you do next?" The reply was, "I believe God so I would wait for the answer." Now while that sounds fairly reasonable, the fact is that because faith moves a person to action, the person standing in faith would not just wait for an answer, but actually put the pot on the stove while thanking God for the food that hadn't yet arrived. Remember, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (NIV). In our example, to wait until we see the food to put on the pot doesn't require faith. That is an action based on what is in front of us; it takes faith to put on the pot when the food hasn't yet arrived.

Without doubt that goes against our natural way of being and thinking. Jesus reminds His disciples, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:22-24, KJV). Notice that it is faith coupled with the act of speaking to the "mountain" that produces the desired result.

Genuine faith in God demands action. We have to do something that demonstrates our conviction that we have those things which we said will come to pass and which are consistent with God's will for us. Just like the little boy with his umbrella. If you were standing in the crowd that day, would you have had yours?

An Attitude of Ingratitude

English novelist and essayist Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) was on point when he said, "Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." It is not that we purposefully set out to be that way, but it is easy for us to become so accustomed to certain things that we become indifferent to them; we accept them without thankfulness or a thought.

Let us stop and consider some of these things. When was the last time you thanked God for the ability to feed yourself? To tie your shoe laces? For the sense of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, touching? For family, friends, spiritual leaders? When was the last time you thanked your children for helping with the chores? Your spouse for taking care of the home; for being a hard working husband or wife who put his or her family's needs ahead of himself or herself? A friend for always being there when needed? When was the last time you thanked anybody for anything and really meant it? If we take the time to stop and count our blessings, we would be surprised at how much there is to be thankful for. Yet how much have we given thanks for?

Our inability to be aware of and express thankfulness for what God has blessed us with is indicative of an attitude of ingratitude. The Apostle Paul exhorts the church at Colosse to "cultivate thankfulness" (Colossians 3:15, The Message). The same message applies to us today. Instead of being murmurers and complainers, let us resolve to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. To the Thessalonians Paul affirms, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Yes, it is God's will that we have an attitude of thankfulness not only towards Him, but towards those in our sphere of influence. 

To be unthankful is to be in a dangerous place; it is to live on the level of the depraved (Romans 1:21, 28-30). In Deuteronomy 28:47-48 we see it is an attitude that God frowns upon: "Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness of [mind and] heart [in gratitude] for the abundance of all [with which He had blessed you], Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things; and He will put a yoke of iron upon your neck until He has destroyed you" (Amplified). If we are not attaining a thankful spirit then we are slipping toward a depraved mind.

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart. Such a heart does not know ingratitude, but seeks to continually thank God for His blessings, no matter how routine and insignificant they may seem. Do you have such a heart? If not, how about asking His help, starting today, to cultivate a thankful heart? Try it! I guarantee it will change your life and that of at least one person around you.

It's A Heart Thing

There is something delightfully pleasing about doing something with one's whole heart. Even the dreariest of tasks can take on meaning and purpose when we put all of ourselves, so to speak, into it. It is the highest expression of effort and even if the end results were not as expected, not very many people would argue with maximum effort. We can deduce, therefore, that it is possible to do a thing half-heartedly or even without much 'heart' into it. Sort of like going through the motions.

I thought of this as I read and reread David's "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart" (Psalm 9:1a, KJV), taking note of two important determinations in that desire. Firstly, a casual reading of the verse does not capture the emphatic nature of the expression "I will". The "will" is the mental faculty by which we deliberately choose or decide upon a course of action and implies a diligent purposefulness. Among all the options available to the Psalmist, he chose diligently and purposely to praise. That totally ignores whatever circumstances he found himself in at the time. His praise would not be situational. Secondly, he was not just content to praise but he purposed to do so "with my whole heart". On this verse, I agree with noted Bible Scholar Matthew Henry who writes, "If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in sincerity, with our hearts, and not only with our lips, and be lively and fervent in the duty, with our whole heart."

In Old Testament times, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Joel, to name a few, all challenged the people to serve/love God "with all your heart". Through Jeremiah God declares, "Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (29:13). When Jesus was asked which was the great commandment in the law, He mentioned two, the first being, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). God has not changed. What He desired then, He still desires now: nothing but the very best of ourselves, all of our hearts, in love, in praise, and in worship.

It is not enough to merely go through the motions as God takes no delight in such actions. In this quiet time of reflection, now is as good a time as any for a heart check. "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart"; can you say that? Remember, it is not based on situations or emotions; it is a heart thing.

Who Is Jesus to You?

According to the book of Matthew, Jesus had just finished feeding four thousand men, besides women and children, with seven loaves and a few little fishes when He had a private conversation with His disciples at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 15:32-38; 16:13). Despite all the teachings He had done and the miracles He preformed, He asked the disciples, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" to which they answered, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets" (16:14). In other words, people were saying just about everything other than who He really was.

Jesus then turned the tables and asked, "But who do you say that I am?" We are not told if there was a pregnant pause as they contemplated the question, but we know that Simon Peter, my favorite disciple, replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (16:15-16).

The entire exchange affirmed an important truth. A person can have good thoughts of Christ, and yet not the right ones; a high opinion of Him, yet not high enough. The people had seen Jesus and the works He did. His life and ministry were as spoken by the prophets, yet even in His midst they did not know who He was. The disciples all agreed He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, yet even in that declaration, they still missed all that Jesus was. Yes, He was the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), but to those who believe in Him, He is much more than that.

While most Christians understand Jesus as stated by Peter, we too miss fully understanding all that He is to us. Scriptures teach that He is our Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the True Vine, Comforter, Friend, Healer, the Good Shepherd, Redeemer, Savior, the Fountain of Living Water, Burden Bearer, Deliverer, Great High Priest, Provider, among many other things. Anything that the believer needs Him to be that is consistent with the Bible's revelation of Him, He is all that and more! How our lives could be much different if we grasped this important truth?

Who is Jesus to you? Is He just the Son of God? I challenge you to get more intimately acquainted with Him; get to know Him better. There is no area of our lives that He is incapable of stepping into and making a difference. May He so reveal himself to you as you spend time in His presence.

"Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job?"

Satan was probably minding his own business.  As a matter of fact, when asked by the LORD "Whence comest thou?" he replied, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (Job 1:7, KJV). But the LORD did not stop there. His next question to Satan was one that Christians everywhere are probably familiar with: "Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (v.8).
 
The events following this interaction are acutely detailed in the Old Testament book of Job. Some believe this to be the oldest book in the Bible; God allowing man a glimpse into the unfolding of the drama behind evil and suffering, especially in the lives of some of His people. A glimpse that not only shows Him initiating events, but in His sovereignty allowing Satan limited room to orchestrate those events. The question, "Hast thou considered my servant Job?" is profound. Job, whom God described as "a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil," was doing His best to serve the LORD. Yet, God not only saw it fit to bring him to Satan's attention, but to later remove His hedge of protection from around him (vv. 12; 2:6) for him to be afflicted with seemingly incomprehensible and unjustifiable suffering.
 
Interestingly, in his second discussion with Satan regarding Job, the LORD not only asked the same question, but added "and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause?" (2:3). For standing firm, Job was "rewarded" with more affliction. With God's permission, Satan "smote [him] with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown" (2:7). Despite the challenge from his wife to "curse God and die" - a somewhat understandable cry of bitter disappointment with God - the writer tells us, "In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (v. 10).
 
What does all of this have to do with us, especially those who are serving the LORD faithfully? Good question! What if He brought you to Satan's attention? Could you be Job? What if He has already brought you to Satan's attention? The trials and tribulations you are going through testifying to God's temporary removal of His protective hedge. Can you be Job in the midst of your afflictions? Three observations from the narrative that should help us on our journey:  1) The LORD was always in control of the situation. Satan could do nothing without His permission; 2) Satan was limited by the LORD in what He could do to Job; 3) Job's faith in God and God's faith in Job were both vindicated and God gave him double for his trouble. 
  
"Hast thou considered my servant Job?" Replace Job's name with yours. Could God trust you to remain faithful amidst very challenging circumstances the way He trusted Job?