Faith is a noun in the English language. Random House Dictionary defines faith as a “confidence or trust in a person or thing; belief that is not based on proof.†Faith is an important ingredient in the Christian’s life. it not only brings one to salvation, but it also grows a Christian into spiritual maturity.
However, too often faith is nothing more than a refrigerator magnet, paper weight, or a bumper sticker in the Christian’s life. In order for faith to be fruitful, it must be active. It needs to be a verb. It must become an active trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.†(Psalm 37:3)
Our faith must bear true fruit; through our obedience we become righteous by living according to God’s standards and not our own. God’s Word clears out all the stinking thinking in our minds, but it is up to us to respond to the revelation of truth.
In the lives of others and even in my own life, much of the turmoil we live through is self-inflicted through disobedience. We do something we know is wrong out of selfish desire. We give in to our flesh and grieve the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to do so when you are lost, but once saved righteousness must grow in our lives.
-
“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.†(Psalm 32:10)
A common complaint I hear from Christians is, “I really don’t know God all that well. My relationship with Him doesn’t seem to grow.†There is a good reason for that. God only intimately knows those that trust Him.
-
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.†(Nahum 1:7)
The Prophet Nahum makes good sense if we apply his teaching to our common lives. Those in your inner circle of friends are the ones you trust the most. You have faith in each other. Those friends are the ones you turn to when trials and tribulations come. A best friend or a few close friends are like a refuge; you find sanctuary in them.
So it should be with our Lord Jesus Christ. He should become your best friend because unlike your human friends, Jesus will never let you down. He will always be there for you. If Christ was able to calm the stormy seas for His disciples, He is quite capable of dealing with the storms in our lives. The issue is not the willingness of the Lord to be our “stronghold in the day of trouble;†the problem is we don’t trust Him enough to habitually turn to Him as we do with our human friends.
The blessed life awaits us if we will trust in the Lord. The Prophet Jeremiah gives this wonderful promise:
-
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.†(Jeremiah 17:7)
Many of you may be nodding your head in agreement as you read this, but if I were to ask you how your faith in Christ strengthens you each day, what would be your reply? Could you give a daily or even a weekly testimony to the working of the Lord in your life? What new things has the Lord taught you through the reading of and meditation upon His word?
Are you still stuck in a head knowledge relationship with Christ instead of a living and growing daily walk with the Lord? Major W. Ian Thomas shows the way to a vibrant life of faith:
-
You must act on what you have come to know and believe before it will ever become real in your experience, before you realize by personal experience that Jesus is alive not just in heaven but in you every moment of every day, as the Father was alive in Him. Then your actions will be the activity of faith.
The people around us, especially our family and close friends, should know that it is our faith in Jesus Christ that drives us to do what we do and fashions how we think.
I can think of no greater living testimony than to be known as a man of faith. I want my children and grandchildren to know, even when they disagree with me, that the decisions I make and the actions I take are because of my faith in Jesus Christ.
To do otherwise is to fail my faith.
In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4
If you’re receiving these devotionals for the first time and would like to receive them on a regular basis, please email me at jeffers221@bellsouth.net and use “Please add to Devotional List†as the subject. You can purchase Dave’s two devotional books by visiting his Amazon author page.
-
Copyright © 2013 David Jeffers
Tags
Bible, Christianity, Faith, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Joy, Mercy, Revival, Sin, Truth, Wisdom
