Is your faith underdeveloped?
For God’s church:
A friend of mine years ago lived in New Orleans. He did not heed the hurricane warnings and evacuation order that evening and was sitting reading the paper. All of the sudden, the side of the house was hit like a sledge hammer, he jumped up startled and looked out the window, just as the roof on the house across the street, lifted off in the fierce gale. Fearfully, he got a chair and stood on it, feeling of his ceiling to see if it would hold on in the howling wind. He felt a tug on his pant leg, he looked down and it was his five-year-old son that asked, “Dad, are we going to die?” He got down off the chair for he realized his son had seen his fear and he answered and said, “No son, God is going to protect us!” His little boy replied, “Good, I am going to bed.” His son had heard the wind, had seen the roof destroyed and the water flooding in but his daddy said it was going to be all right and he slept through the hurricane. Faith is called many things, but this story sums it up no matter what he seen, heard or felt, he knew daddy said it would be ok and he could rest on those words.
We can know that nothing, nothing, nothing, can get into our lives that is not filtered through the fingers of a loving father and if he has allowed you to be touched with a difficulty, a trial or a storm, it is to perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you in your faith and trust in Him.
A railroad boxcar load of my presumption, to consume it on my flesh, that I might call faith, will do nothing. But let the Holy Spirit put that little seed, that spark of His word in my heart and it will move that mountain.
In Matthew 14 Peter said, Lord, bid me to come on the water. Jesus said, “come.” When Peter come down out of the ship to walk on the water to Jesus, then he saw the wind boisterous and became fearful and started to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” and immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said to Peter “O thou of little faith, where did you doubt?” Peter heard the word of the Lord that said, “come”, but his eyes saw the wind and the waves and he took them off the promise and fear entered. Is Jesus saying to you, “you of underdeveloped faith, where did you doubt?” That word that created all things, that said “Lazarus, come forth”, that says I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH! That, angels mighty in strength watch over to perform the word, to guard and protect God’s integrity! What He says, He does! God is faithful!
Solomon in the dedication of the Temple said, “Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses, His servant.” (I Kings 8:56) In Romans 4:3, Abraham believed God (believe means to entrust, to have faith in) and it was counted for righteousness. We are to put our trust in him and walk in peace (no doubt and no fear) and in His love.
A friend of mine was trying to sell cars and having a hard time, one day he declared, “I will sell two cars today and stood in the belief he would do it. At the end of the day, he did not sell a car, was upset and so he asked the Lord, why? I know I have the faith, but it didn’t work. God’s faith says I am going to trust you no matter the outcome, Lord you know the bills I have, but I know you are in charge of the money and the time tables and like Paul, I want to learn to be content in whatever state I am in and I will rest in Your faithfulness, Lord, but I confess, you are making me a little nervous right now. So I pray you help my unbelief.” My friend is not even selling cars today, the Lord provided him with a job in his calling and he has become very successful.
I know of a preacher who drove up on a car wreck where a man was killed. He was stuck in the traffic and a word came to him to pray for the dead man. At the time, this went against his theology and belief system, but that word kept bothering him. He asked the police officer that was directing traffic, could he go pray for the dead man, the officer said no, the man has been dead an hour, but that word kept bothering him, so he asked again and this time he was given permission. He prayed and the man was raised from the dead. This man really didn’t believe but he heard a word from the Lord and obeyed it!
Now let’s look at these two situations just described. One man believed and it didn’t work the way he presumed, the Lord was moving him to be blessed later. Another man didn’t believe but heard a word from the Lord and obeyed it and it raised the dead.
In John 15:7 he says, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you” Then later on in verse 17 “This I command you, that you love one another…” He is saying abide in me and let my words abide in you and love one another, meet these conditions and you will get the promises.
Abraham was given a promise and told to count the stars, if you are able to count them and told by the Lord, “so shall your descendants be.” 24 years later the promise came to pass, there is that word “patience” that we hate, waiting on the Lord.
My friend selling cars could not see at the time, what the Lord was doing. He knew he needed the money now to pay bills. In every case it goes like the little boy who said, “I am going to bed” in the middle of the storm because he trusted his daddy’s word!
Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
The elders (saints) obtained a good report, not because of achievements, personal holiness, or acceptance of promises, rather by obedience, persistence and sacrifice. Faith is an important weapon, and we should focus on the promise rather than the problem. Are we more than conquerors? Will we dare to step out onto the water? Carnal (flesh) nature is denying the Holy Spirits help. Who dwells in us? Do we really believe? What is not seen is eternal glory, AMEN! A lot of times, we are like Peter, we hear God’s word, but also see the waves and hear the wind howling. Lord, bring us to that place of complete rest and peace as we walk on the water to your love.
1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
This scripture says “if need be you have been grieved by various trials…..tested by fire”, is this not a building of your faith? A process, walk it out, and how can we walk like Jesus until we get out of bondage? We have to OBEY Gods word while we walk it out. The trials are a testing and a revelation of our heart condition, do we reflect the nature of Jesus or Satan, understand that we can’t reflect both.
Romans 8: 28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Gods plan is to glorify. These verses outline a sequence of events, what God started He will finish. We must take action, get off the couch, if we are unwilling to OBEY then we are unfaithful servants. Take action, get in on this war, this spiritual battle requires us to USE the WEAPONS given to us (Word of God), and not sit on the couch and wait for some miracle. Faith is not “waiting” for what we can see, it is rather “believing” in the unseen.
God can see the big picture, we can’t. Our lives are similar to a jigsaw puzzle, lots of pieces, different sizes, and shapes. When the Masters hand puts each piece together carefully, the way it was designed, it becomes a beautiful picture. The master already knows what it will look like when He is done, and all we can see is holes, missing pieces, and everything that does not fit. If something is going on in your life, it is going on for a reason----God’s reason, Gods purpose, Gods timing. Trust Him, be obedient to His word and He will likewise be faithful.