Doing What We Can To Just Believe

I awoke this morning with a song from Third Day in my mind; particularly the first chorus kept playing in my mind. It’s from the song “Ready” and the first stanza goes like this:

    I’m ready for the winds to change
    I’m ready for a brighter day
    I’m ready for the sun to shine down on me
    I’m waiting for a song to sing
    I’m looking for a brand new thing
    I’m ready now to live a life that I believe

Now that’s not the part of the song that is running through my mind, but it sets this up nicely because it’s important to put this song in context and to understand this speaks of faith and hope. Our nation is facing tough times and too many Americans think our problems will be answered if we can just get rid of Barack Obama. Friend, Obama’s not the problem—he’s just a symptom. We are looking to man for our answers when we should be looking to God and trusting Him for all we need, not some political party.

    “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3)

We the church need to change our prayer lists. Our pastor Monday night during our men’s meeting shared a burden with us and asked us to all begin praying for this burden. He wants us to begin praying for souls to be saved in a fresh, new way. That seems like such an obvious prayer, but how many Christians and churches across America our doing that with a fervency. I know of only one way that will happen. For lost people to come to Christ, the dead church must come alive. We must have revival if we are to see redemption among the lost; and we must have repentance if we are to see revival come. It has to be a change in our priorities of prayer and purpose. That brings me to the chorus of the song running through my mind:

    I want the world to turn because of love
    And mercy to find each of us
    Doing what we can to just believe
    I want the world to know that You’re the One
    Who fills me up and gives me hope
    And brings about this change that’s in me

If the world is going to know that Jesus is the One who fills me up and gives me hope and brings about this change that’s in me, then that change must be evident for all to see. Problem is most Christians are in the Secret Service instead of making their presence known in a lost and dying world.

Why is that? Too many reasons to list here, but one big reason is that we are trusting in man just as the world is and so our faith is actually no different than theirs. Why should they come to Christ if our faith still remains in man’s best efforts? If we want mercy to find each of us then we need to turn to the God of Mercy:

    “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8)

We serve a trustworthy God, amen? If this be true, then should it not manifest itself in the Body of Christ? Should we not be a joyful people, instead of a fearful people? Should we not be singing God’s praises right now instead of praying for better days?

    “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11-12)

It amazes me how so many Christians and conservatives look at Barack Obama as some super-human evil villain. For goodness sakes he is one man, and one pathetic man at that. His whole life is a manufactured fairy tale of which those in power who fear him refuse to use that power to pull back the curtain on this charlatan. We lament the debt he’s piling onto our posterity, and yet we have a Republican-controlled House of Representatives who passed that debt increase. We have an Attorney General who openly violates his oath of office in numerous way, and we have a Republican-controlled House of Representatives that gives no thought of sending articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial, as is their constitutional duty. And yet we look to political parties as though they will save the day!

Beloved, I’m not trying to be political here; I’m being practical. Our hope must be built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Why? Because all other ground is sinking sand (notice how those old fashioned hymns have a lot of practical application?).

If I am going to do what I can to just believe, then the object of my faith better be solid and not squishy because I am called to stand against the storms of life, not seek shelter. Oh but Bro Dave my shelter is the Lord! Yes, but your not supposed to live your live in some Christian ghetto or compound avoiding the evil around us. We are to stand with Christ because He is our strength:

    “You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great.” (Psalm 115:11-13)

I’ve rambled on long enough just trying to share my heart and let you listen in on what God has put on it. My hope for each of us is that we will see the worthlessness of trusting in idols, those of which are man-made, and see the worthiness of trusting in God, the Creator of the Universe. He is the Heavenly Father who so loves us that He sent is only begotten Son to die, that if we will just believe, that means trust and commit, in Him—the Lord Jesus Christ—then we will not perish from this land. We will have everlasting life in Him in Heaven, forever.

That is some really good news in a world full of really bad news.

Is it a reality in your life? If not, I pray today is the day it becomes so…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2012 David Jeffers

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