Our Friday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma Ballester:
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
A common theme throughout God’s Word is the concept of “Faith”. What is faith? We all know that Hebrews 11:1 gives a great definition: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen.” Simply read the rest of Hebrews 11 to find an itemized listing of many of God’s people who were commended for their faith. In our passage today, Paul encourages us to maintain an eternal perspective on events in this world. By focusing on eternity rather than on temporal gains or losses, we become willing to step out and take risks, for our confidence is in God. One of my favorite verses comes later in this book: ”For we walk by faith, not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7) Does it sometimes feel like you are walking in the dark? Is it hard to see how God will resolve an impossible situation that you are facing right now? Is it your finances? Your marriage? Your wayward child? Your health? Your ministry? Your job (or lack of one)? Are you facing uncertainty? Are you drowning in the waves of this world’s hopelessness? It is so unnatural for us to humanly walk without looking where we are going, yet that is precisely what Paul says we Christians must do spiritually when we face uncertainty, when our human understanding fails us, and we feel as if we are in the dark. We MUST stand up and WALK by FAITH!
I am not talking about "blind faith" here. There is blindness when it comes to physical sight, but let me assure you beloved brothers and sisters… our faith is not "ignorant" faith. We have the Bible which teaches us about the dependability of God, we have our own previous experiences as well as the testimony of others - these all help us live by "informed faith". Allow God’s Word to be a Lamp unto your feet and a Light unto your path (Psalm 119:115), He has provided a roadmap and it is up to us to read and follow it’s guidance in ALL situations, especially when we are at a loss for direction. Your faith must be based on your understanding of Who our God is, and that you can be confident when you trust Him with all aspects of your life, your circumstances and your future. Francis Schaeffer, in his book "The God Who Is There," imagines a situation where a man is caught in a storm on the side of a mountain in the Swiss Alps. The swirling snow makes it impossible for him to see more than a few inches. The man, squatting on a narrow ledge, hears a voice urging him to leap off the ledge to a safe path below which will take him back to the village below. If an unknown voice is heard, the man will probably not want to take the risk of jumping into the unknown abyss. But when the voice identifies itself as belonging to a well known, experienced mountain guide, the man is willing to leap, and ultimately finds his way to safety. The point of the story is this, we can trust in the "Voice", because we know from the reports of others, as well as from our own past experience, that He is trustworthy, and we can rely on Him to lead us out of this blinding storm.
When you really tap into the power of having faith in an Almighty, All-knowing, Everywhere-at-the-same-time GOD, how could you ever doubt He was in control of every situation you face? When we cry out to Him, and stand on the promises of His Word, God moves on your behalf, He has already gone before you to make a way where it seems to be no way. Just because you can’t see it yet does not mean it has not been taken care of by our Heavenly Father Who passionately loves you and promises to do what’s ultimately best for you in all situations. His eye is on the sparrow… and I know He watches me” is a line from a famous hymn, but it is precious to consider that idea when I hear the birds singing in the morning… He sees the tiniest details of our lives, nothing escapes His view, nothing surprises Him, His Hands hold us close to His heart, He longs to draw us into an intimately quiet place with Him when the storms of life crash all around us. He speaks to the waves and says “Be still”. He longs to quiet your heart as you wait on Him. Release your anxieties into His loving care. Rest in Him. IN HIM. Nothing else. When the people of Israel seemed to be trapped at the edge of the Red Sea, Moses called out to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:13, 14) Can you imagine the faith, the boldness, they needed in order to stand still at such a time? WOW. Moses reminded the people to ONLY BE STILL. How often we allow ourselves to get agitated, fearful, frustrated, angry, confused… when God simply wants us to BE STILL AND KNOW that He Is God! (Psalm 46:10) This makes me get excited, because we get to simply stand still and SEE God move.
Be courageous in your faith. Set your face towards the impossible and believe God is doing the impossible. Trust God for the big things, and you will see Him do the big things. Think about it: If you could solve the problem, then where would the need be for God to Divinely intervene? I believe that it is faith that enables boldness. And God is moved when His people live by faith, and trust Him, and wait on Him to move on their behalf. He can move mountains with simply the faith of a tiny mustard seed, how much more can our God do when we stand in faith and BELIEVE He has already answered our prayers!!! Here is a current example: Our beloved Grace Harbor Church and School are struggling right now under the financial crisis that is hitting our nation. We are trusting in GOD to find a way, to provide for the needs of our little Lighthouse to the communities of Orange County. We may not see it at this moment, but we are standing on God’s Promises, and we are seeking His face and crying out to Him. As the Lord leads you, I would encourage you to join us in prayer and standing with us in confident faith that He Who has begun a good work at Grace Harbor, is FAITHFUL to complete it. The ministries that touch so many lives, that always open their doors and love on people unconditionally, who provide food ministries, and children ministries, and youth ministries and prayer ministries, and counseling, and a safe haven for babies and preschoolers and elementary school children to freely learn about the world from a Biblical perspective…. all of these ministries are under attack by our adversary who would love to see it not continue. But God’s Word says in Philippians 1:3-6: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This is my prayer for Grace Harbor. I am standing with confident undoubting and steadfast FAITH that our God will intervene and move on our behalf.
Be strong, my beloved. Trust God to be TRUE to His Word. Is anything too hard for our God? I say NO!
Remember: Our God is an AWESOME God, He reigns from heaven above, with mercy… power… and love… have confidence in our AWESOME GOD!
Shalom, sister Lahoma
p.s.: for those interested, we are having a special time of prayer and intercession at Grace Harbor Church on Wednesday night, July 14th, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. All those who share a deep burden for the continuation of God’s Work in this place are encouraged to attend.
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