Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith.
But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual.
Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him?
Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your common sense life continue to shout, "It's all a lie"?
When you are on the mountaintop, it's easy to say, "Oh yes, I believe God can do it," but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see
Luke 9:28-42 ).
Every time your theology becomes clear to your own minds, you encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as you say, "I believe 'God shall supply all [my] need,' " the testing of your faith begins (
Philippians 4:19 ).
When your strength runs dry and your vision is blinded, will you endure this trial of your faith victoriously or will you turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict.
What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it.
Jesus said, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (
Matthew 11:6 ). The ultimate thing is
confidence in Jesus. "We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . ." (
Hebrews 3:14 ).
Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test.
Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6 ).
Adapted from:
"My Utmost For His Highest"
by Oswald Chambers
"Belief is the consent of the mind, faith is a choice of the will and trust is a commitment of the heart."
Do we just believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on Calvary that we might live when we confess with our mouths that He is Lord? If we just believe in our minds, then we are no different from the devil because the Bible tells us that even the devil believes Jesus is the Son of God.
If we base our confession of faith in Jesus just on our intellectual understanding of what Christ has done, then when the testing of our faith comes, we'll crumble and cave in!
That's when we'll start entertaining, and believing, doubts about Christ and His goodness, etc.
But if our confession of faith is based on a deliberate choice to place complete trust in Christ, we'll be able to weather even the most terrible storm. That's when we'll be able to say, "Even when I don't understand what's happening, I WILL trust God, His faithfulness, His love, His mercy, His grace, and His goodness!"
N415, may we all stand steadfast and victorious till the end!
sincerely Yours,
10:26 AM.
We just had our own 1st Grooming session at "The specialist for hair salon" at AMK!
... now you don't!!!
There goes your gym workout, Han Yong!
Was a good time of fellowship!