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Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, ?My foot is slipping,? your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. (Psalm 94:17-19)
Your physical body is a gift from God. He created it, equipped it, set its workings in motion, and then gave it to you. Exercise it and its strength increases. Nurture it and it will heal itself of accident and illness to a remarkable degree. But if you don't, its strength diminishes, its endurance decreases, its muscles atrophy, until it's almost useless. Ignore it long enough and it'll die.
Faith is the same way. God gave you enough to be saved (Ephes. 2:8-9). Then He equipped you with the Holy Spirit and set you in motion anew. Exercise your faith it and its strength increases. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and you'll be carried through even the most trying circumstances. Learn the lessons from your experience and you'll find your faith strengthened to a remarkable degree. But ignore it and it'll die. All except that part He gave you in the beginning. The part that got you saved. That can't die because it was a gift from Him.
The difference between the one with unshakeable faith and the one who cringes in fear at each new attack is a matter of exercise. You see, for many of us it doesn't take much faith to get through this life. We're pretty much self reliant, doing what we need to do to get by in our own strength. So we don't have to exercise our faith regularly. And because of that, it's not very strong. When the enemy strikes, we find we're not as prepared as we should be, and wind up cowering instead of standing tall.
But for one reason or another, some decide to abandon their self-made security and "step out in faith." My friends Vilbert and Shantha, from India, adopted four Moslem orphan children all at once so they could raise them in the ways of the Lord. They already had three of their own, and didn't have a lot of extra money or room, but went ahead on faith.
Daniel and Heidi brought the concept of Christian daycare to a country that's never heard of it, in an effort to keep poor families together. They bought a building and began remodeling, learning as they go and depending on the Lord for sustenance.
DJ and Lynette agreed to take over a failing Mexican orphanage. They had no money, didn't speak Spanish, and had never run an orphanage, but felt the Lord calling them.
Each of these couples decided to exercise their faith. And they all found that as they did, it grew stronger. They now take in stride things that would have flattened them just a short time ago. (How'd you like to wake up one morning with 90 hungry mouths to feed and find the cupboards bare?)
But you don't have to do something that dramatic to exercise your faith. You can simply decide today to delegate one little part of your life to the Lord to manage for you. Pick a part you're not doing very well with so there won't be a big temptation to take it back. For example, if you know you've been looking for love in all the wrong places, try going to some places where the Lord would feel OK going with you, and let Him introduce you to some of His friends. Then watch what He does when you give Him the chance.
If you've been looking around you at all, you know that things are going to get a lot worse in this world before they get better. Begin now to exercise your faith more consistently. It'll prepare you for the time coming soon when you'll really need it.
Faith is the same way. God gave you enough to be saved (Ephes. 2:8-9). Then He equipped you with the Holy Spirit and set you in motion anew. Exercise your faith it and its strength increases. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and you'll be carried through even the most trying circumstances. Learn the lessons from your experience and you'll find your faith strengthened to a remarkable degree. But ignore it and it'll die. All except that part He gave you in the beginning. The part that got you saved. That can't die because it was a gift from Him.
The difference between the one with unshakeable faith and the one who cringes in fear at each new attack is a matter of exercise. You see, for many of us it doesn't take much faith to get through this life. We're pretty much self reliant, doing what we need to do to get by in our own strength. So we don't have to exercise our faith regularly. And because of that, it's not very strong. When the enemy strikes, we find we're not as prepared as we should be, and wind up cowering instead of standing tall.
But for one reason or another, some decide to abandon their self-made security and "step out in faith." My friends Vilbert and Shantha, from India, adopted four Moslem orphan children all at once so they could raise them in the ways of the Lord. They already had three of their own, and didn't have a lot of extra money or room, but went ahead on faith.
Daniel and Heidi brought the concept of Christian daycare to a country that's never heard of it, in an effort to keep poor families together. They bought a building and began remodeling, learning as they go and depending on the Lord for sustenance.
DJ and Lynette agreed to take over a failing Mexican orphanage. They had no money, didn't speak Spanish, and had never run an orphanage, but felt the Lord calling them.
Each of these couples decided to exercise their faith. And they all found that as they did, it grew stronger. They now take in stride things that would have flattened them just a short time ago. (How'd you like to wake up one morning with 90 hungry mouths to feed and find the cupboards bare?)
But you don't have to do something that dramatic to exercise your faith. You can simply decide today to delegate one little part of your life to the Lord to manage for you. Pick a part you're not doing very well with so there won't be a big temptation to take it back. For example, if you know you've been looking for love in all the wrong places, try going to some places where the Lord would feel OK going with you, and let Him introduce you to some of His friends. Then watch what He does when you give Him the chance.
If you've been looking around you at all, you know that things are going to get a lot worse in this world before they get better. Begin now to exercise your faith more consistently. It'll prepare you for the time coming soon when you'll really need it.
GRACE THRU FAITH MINISTRIES by Jack Kelley © 2008. All rights reserved. (Please include this line to forward the message).
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