“Without faith it is impossible to please God”, Hebrews 11:6
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”, Hebrews 11:1
Abraham is often referred to as the father of faith, but the journey to great faith begins with faith the size of a mustard seed. When that seed is placed in the right environment, Almighty God, creation takes place! Great faith is not necessarily a journey without negatives and challenges, look at the roller coaster of Abraham’s life as he faced his trials, failure and difficulties before he reached his expected end.
We are all on this journey. Do I accept that there is never a negative in God’s purpose? Those moments and times when we experience staleness and emptiness are the challenge to prove God in the mix. The purpose of the staleness is to portray the contrast of the evidence when God moves by His Spirit sovereignly. Just like father Abraham, we have to prove God in the trials of our faith. 1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”.
Our heavenly Father is at work in our lives even at our darkest moments. Here is where we have opportunity to prove He is who He says He is. Who else would prepare a table to feed me in the presence of my enemies, to anoint my head with oil and fill my cup? (Psalm 23). It is in these dark times that the growth takes place, if we do not resist Him, but allow Him to minister to us our need of Jesus. Here His strength becomes perfect in our weakness. The royal exchange! 2 Corinthians 12:9
The trials of our faith will be tried by the fire of God, mentioned above. The fire of God never falls on an empty altar, and once committed, you cannot negotiate with the flames. As we surrender our will under the Holy Spirit’s conviction and guidance, the fire of God will burn up the dross in our lives. The dross is the wood, hay and stubble of man’s attempts in uncrucified flesh to elevate self, or bring about, or add to, a sovereign work of God. “But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”. 1 Corinthians 3: 10 – 13
Many have prayed for the fire of God to fall, not realising that it’s purpose is to burn up everything that is motivated to elevate man, everything that misrepresents Almighty God and His beloved Son. Just how many wrong images of Christianity have been misrepresented to the world in man’s efforts of unsanctified zeal for God? Only the breath of God will bring that sovereign wind of change, but be assured, it will also bring the fire to destroy all that is man’s effort and glory. What will remain after being tried in the fire, is the gold in our lives that will bring glory to God alone, and an abhorrance of all that is self seeking to glorify and elevate man.
When life brings it’s challenges, what am I going to do with them? If I throw a pity party, the only guest that shows up is the devil! My portion is to walk this passage with God, refuse sense knowledge, (eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Genesis 3), let God be true! Here I can declare to the Lord, the world and the devil: ” True and righteous are all your ways, O Lord!”
Only what God says is true. If you do not set God’s word and standards before you, the world will dictate their’s to you.
Photo by Cullan Smith on Unsplash
