The Discipline Of Faith
Ode On A Distant Prospect of Eton College- Thomas Gray-excerpt-
To each his suff’rings: all are men,
Condemned alike to groan;
The tender for another’s pain,
Th’ unfeeling for his own.
Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
‘Tis folly to be wise
Our enemy would want us to hold to the idea that “ignorance is bliss” and “tis folly to be wise”. How wise are you to the devil’s schemes? To what extent are you aware of the battle that surrounds us? I wager that the devil, the father of lies, would prefer that we not think about him at all! Or, that we would attribute much that goes on in and around us to the idea, “that’s just the way life is!” He is winning the war if he lulls us into this thinking. He is the master of propaganda.
prop·a·gan·da (prp-gnd)
n. 1. The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.
Ever since Eden, our enemy has been propagating that God can’t be trusted and that He is holding out on us. If he, satan, is sucessful, we will buy into this lie- hook, line and sinker. The result- our taking control of our lives, which results in separation from God- the Author and giver of Life! So our distrust of God leads to a “power-grab” which leads to death.
In order for us to not fall captive to this lie and many others that satan will shoot at us, God, in His wisdom, love and grace, has provided spiritual armour so we can stand firm and be victorious.
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
As I walk with God, waiting on the fulfillment of His word to me, I have been focused on my faith. Two posts ago I wrote about Conquering Faith and my desire to overcome the tendency to waiver and be tossed about. When I read the below devotional, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I had mutiple AH HA’s as I read. In reading the definition of faith, I am struck most by the phrase, Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. This type of “vision” does not come natural to us but is an acquired discipline. I have learned that to be a man of faith that can “move mountains”, seeing through the eyes of faith when the human picture does not look good, takes real discipline. It is so easy to “freak-out” and over-react or act according to our human senses. It takes a real discipline of faith to say to yourself and those around you, ” I know this looks real bad but lets take it to the Lord and ask for wisdom and His perspective.” In stead of asking ourselves “How can this possibly work out good?”, we need to ask God, “What do you want me to do?” and then trust and obey while leaving the How up to Him! When we bring God and His power, wisdom, and love into the picture- All things are possible!
Just like weight lifting- the more you lift correctly the stronger you become in that discipline, so is it in the realm of faith. The more we carry our shield of faith and USE IT, the more we will soar on the wings of faith and God’s power- to the Glory of God! Blessings, Jon
faith (fth)
n. 1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. See Synonyms at belief, trust.3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one’s supporters.4. often Faith Christianity The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God’s will.5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.6. A set of principles or beliefs.
dis·ci·pline
(ds-pln)
n. 1. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.
2. Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control.3. a. Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order.b. A systematic method to obtain obedience: a military discipline.c. A state of order based on submission to rules and authority: a teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.4. Punishment intended to correct or train.5. A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order.6. A branch of knowledge or teaching.
shield
(shld)
n.1. A broad piece of armor made of rigid material and strapped to the arm or carried in the hand for protection against hurled or thrusted weapons.
2. A person or thing that provides protection.3. A protective device or structure, as: a. A steel sheet attached to an artillery piece to protect gunners from small-arms fire and shrapnel.
The Discipline of Faith- (from Streams in the Desert)
“All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).
The “all things” do not always come simply for the asking, for the reason that God is ever seeking to teach us the way of faith, and in our training in the faith life there must be room for the trial of faith, the discipline of faith, the patience of faith, the courage of faith, and often many stages are passed before we really realize what is the end of faith, namely, the victory of faith.
Real moral fibre is developed through discipline of faith. You have made your request of God, but the answer does not come. What are you to do?
Keep on believing God’s Word; never be moved away from it by what you see or feel, and thus as you stand steady, enlarged power and experience is being developed. The fact of looking at the apparent contradiction as to God’s Word and being unmoved from your position of faith make you stronger on every other line.
Often God delays purposely, and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is the fulfillment when it comes.
In the lives of all the great Bible characters, God worked thus. Abraham, Moses and Elijah were not great in the beginning, but were made great through the discipline of their faith, and only thus were they fitted for the positions to which God had called them.
For example, in the case of Joseph whom the Lord was training for the throne of Egypt, we read in the Psalms:
“The word of the Lord tried him.” It was not the prison life with its hard beds or poor food that tried him, but it was the word God had spoken into his heart in the early years concerning elevation and honor which were greater than his brethren were to receive; it was this which was ever before him, when every step in his career made it seem more and more impossible of fulfillment, until he was there imprisoned, and all in innocency, while others who were perhaps justly incarcerated, were released, and he was left to languish alone.
These were hours that tried his soul, but hours of spiritual growth and development, that, “when his word came” (the word of release), found him fitted for the delicate task of dealing with his wayward brethren, with a love and patience only surpassed by God Himself.
No amount of persecution tries like such experiences as these. When God has spoken of His purpose to do, and yet the days go on and He does not do it, that is truly hard; but it is a discipline of faith that will bring us into a knowledge of God which would otherwise be impossible.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
My Name is…………A Gift of God
I was born in Tallahassee, Florida August 6 1959 to O. Michael and Sandra Lynn Cannon. My full given name is Jon Michael Cannon. My Dad was finishing up his undergrad at Florida State University and my Mom was an aspiring actress. I was blessed to return to my humble beginnings this past weekend. It was Homecoming at Florida State and my Dad and younger brother, Marc, had planned a trip to Tallahassee. My Dad had not considered me for the trip because I am a Gator fan. But, as fate had it, God wanted me there.. a return to my earthly beginning. I say earthly beginning because the Bible says that God knew us before we were born.
Jeremiah 1
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Psalm 139
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
God knew us before we were born and He prepared works for us to walk in before we were even born.
Ephesians 2
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If you have been reading this blog, you know that I have been reading books by John Eldredge. John speaks about receiving our “spiritual name”. I was moved by this idea and began asking God what my spiritual name is. I had been asking for about a month before God gave me His answer. On my way to Tallahassee I was struggling to get into the flow of the Spirit. Distance driving is a great opportunity to get quiet and press into the Lord. Charleston to Tallahassee is about a six hour drive and it took just over half of that time to get freed up to really worship the Lord. In my last post I spoke about my desire to have conquering faith. During the first part of my trip I was wrestling about this faith and what it would take to walk in it. When I hit Route 10 on the West side of Jacksonville I had my answer. The Lord told me that it was praise for what God was going to do. That I needed to praise Him in advance of His action. Scripture is full of examples of this.
Philippians 4
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
As I started praising Him I had a breakthrough of faith and a revival of praise. I was driving down the road clapping and singing and raising my hands. Don’t worry, I was being careful to not get in an accident. I was the first to arrive in Tallahassee, so I got settled into our hotel and waited for my Dad and brother.
Friday morning came early. God awoke me at around 4 to tell me my spiritual name.
I awoke to “Your name is Jonathan”! Now, I must explain something about my name. As long as I can remember my name has been an irritation to me to some extent. I have had to tell people over and over again…. it is not John but Jon. And no, it is not Jonathan, it’s just Jon. Just Jon, Just Jon, Just Jon! I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have said that in response to the question, ” Is Jon short for Jonathan?”
Fast forward to 2010 and God is telling me my name really is Jonathan! And he chose to tell me in the city where I was born. As I was praying about this post I did a search on the web for what the name Jonathan means. It is a Hebrew name that means “Gift of God”. I am reminded of Jonathan, King Saul’s son who was David’s closest friend. Jonathan was a fine warrior and a Godly man. He was humble, faithful and fiercely loyal. He had a gift of encouragement which he used time and again to strengthen David. Jonathan was very wise, knowing how to respect and love His father while being a faithful friend to David, whom Saul wanted dead!
As I consider all this in relation to my story, I can’t help but notice some correlations to my story and that of David’s. Now, let me stress that I am not exalting myself to David’s status. I know he was referred to as “a man after God’s own heart”. But, I am reminded that God is calling each of us to a story that is “bigger than we can imagine”! Just like David who was a humble Shepard boy, He wants to take us from our humble beginnings and do great things through us.
In reading David’s story, and the stories God has given us of saints and sinners who have gone before us, I remember that God told David he was going to be king before it happened. It was like God in His love and mercy told David ahead of time what He could look forward to and then allowed him to go through a refining period that would make him a man of God. David was literally running for his life! Many of his psalms were written during his darkest hours. When he was tested to his very core and learned to trust God when things looked their bleakest. He traveled through the refiners fires and came out the other side as a man after God’s own heart.
David’s story encourages me as I wait for the fulfillment of God’s word to me. While I wait, He continues to refine me and make me into a man of God. I know I have so much to learn but He is so patient, loving and faithful. For He promises to finish the work He began in us when we came to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Philippians 1:6
6 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.
Prayer-
Lord, thank-you for my name! Help me to walk this out and live as a gift of yours to those you have called me to. I am your son and your servant. I praise you and thank you in advance for the works you have prepared for me to walk in. Help me to walk in the present, taking one day at a time! Trusting in your love and timing. Help me to be a fierce warrior knowing that I have many enemies to fight and battles to win by your power and for your glory. In Jesus name. Amen
Jeremiah 1
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Psalm 139
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
God knew us before we were born and He prepared works for us to walk in before we were even born.
Ephesians 2
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
If you have been reading this blog, you know that I have been reading books by John Eldredge. John speaks about receiving our “spiritual name”. I was moved by this idea and began asking God what my spiritual name is. I had been asking for about a month before God gave me His answer. On my way to Tallahassee I was struggling to get into the flow of the Spirit. Distance driving is a great opportunity to get quiet and press into the Lord. Charleston to Tallahassee is about a six hour drive and it took just over half of that time to get freed up to really worship the Lord. In my last post I spoke about my desire to have conquering faith. During the first part of my trip I was wrestling about this faith and what it would take to walk in it. When I hit Route 10 on the West side of Jacksonville I had my answer. The Lord told me that it was praise for what God was going to do. That I needed to praise Him in advance of His action. Scripture is full of examples of this.
Philippians 4
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
As I started praising Him I had a breakthrough of faith and a revival of praise. I was driving down the road clapping and singing and raising my hands. Don’t worry, I was being careful to not get in an accident. I was the first to arrive in Tallahassee, so I got settled into our hotel and waited for my Dad and brother.
Friday morning came early. God awoke me at around 4 to tell me my spiritual name.
I awoke to “Your name is Jonathan”! Now, I must explain something about my name. As long as I can remember my name has been an irritation to me to some extent. I have had to tell people over and over again…. it is not John but Jon. And no, it is not Jonathan, it’s just Jon. Just Jon, Just Jon, Just Jon! I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have said that in response to the question, ” Is Jon short for Jonathan?”
Fast forward to 2010 and God is telling me my name really is Jonathan! And he chose to tell me in the city where I was born. As I was praying about this post I did a search on the web for what the name Jonathan means. It is a Hebrew name that means “Gift of God”. I am reminded of Jonathan, King Saul’s son who was David’s closest friend. Jonathan was a fine warrior and a Godly man. He was humble, faithful and fiercely loyal. He had a gift of encouragement which he used time and again to strengthen David. Jonathan was very wise, knowing how to respect and love His father while being a faithful friend to David, whom Saul wanted dead!
As I consider all this in relation to my story, I can’t help but notice some correlations to my story and that of David’s. Now, let me stress that I am not exalting myself to David’s status. I know he was referred to as “a man after God’s own heart”. But, I am reminded that God is calling each of us to a story that is “bigger than we can imagine”! Just like David who was a humble Shepard boy, He wants to take us from our humble beginnings and do great things through us.
In reading David’s story, and the stories God has given us of saints and sinners who have gone before us, I remember that God told David he was going to be king before it happened. It was like God in His love and mercy told David ahead of time what He could look forward to and then allowed him to go through a refining period that would make him a man of God. David was literally running for his life! Many of his psalms were written during his darkest hours. When he was tested to his very core and learned to trust God when things looked their bleakest. He traveled through the refiners fires and came out the other side as a man after God’s own heart.
David’s story encourages me as I wait for the fulfillment of God’s word to me. While I wait, He continues to refine me and make me into a man of God. I know I have so much to learn but He is so patient, loving and faithful. For He promises to finish the work He began in us when we came to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Philippians 1:6
6 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.
Prayer-
Lord, thank-you for my name! Help me to walk this out and live as a gift of yours to those you have called me to. I am your son and your servant. I praise you and thank you in advance for the works you have prepared for me to walk in. Help me to walk in the present, taking one day at a time! Trusting in your love and timing. Help me to be a fierce warrior knowing that I have many enemies to fight and battles to win by your power and for your glory. In Jesus name. Amen
Monday, November 1, 2010
Conquering Faith- A Father’s Perspective
I am currently re-reading- Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge, with my 16 year old Son, Jordan. What a priveledge to share this with my son! It is a great way for father and son to connect and for me to share God’s view of masculinity. Our world, now more than ever, needs real men to stand up and vanquish the blurred lines of masculinity so prevalent in our society.
As I read Wild at Heart, I am also reading- The Making of a Man of God- by Alan Redpath. This is a book about the lessons we can learn from the life of David. These books along with the devotional-Streams in the Desert, are encouraging me tremendously. As I walk in faith, trusting God and His perfect timing, I am finding that “my faith” is being sorely tested and thus refined. What God says through James regarding faith and patience have been in the forefront of my heart and mind. My friend Greg, from VA, called me the other day inquiring about how I was doing. Of course, he has been intimately involved in my journey and was concerned about how I was holding up. I shared with him my deep desire to be a man of faith. One who does not waiver, being tossed about by emotions and doubt. That I would walk in child-like faith, trusting my father and His love for me. That I would not let the “thief” steal my joy, peace and power.
Just last week I was really distraught in my spirit and mind and was wanting a “sign” from the Lord regarding my working with Tim and his foundation. I was crying out to God and was not experiencing peace and joy and power. Then the Spirit reminded me of this passage in James.
James 1:3-8
3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The next day, after sharing my desire with Greg for an “unwaivering faith”, we spoke again. He went on to tell me what a blessing my words were to him. In fact, he was having the best day he had had in a long while and he had shared my words with others in need of encouragement. Wow! What started as prayer request turned into a blessing for others- a Word of encouragement! What can we learn from this?
1. It is good for brothers and sisters to come together and share. We need each other!
2.We need honesty and vulnerability- Not Posing! No masks allowed!
3.Be open and available to be used of the Lord- Pass it on! Encourage, edify and show love and compassion.
4.We are all in a war and have an enemy bent on our destruction! Regardless of how “good” things appear on the surfacc.
During this journey, My Wild Goose Chase, I have become accustomed to what I will call, “the timely words from the Lord”. As I have been so focused on my faith and its purification of late- here is the devotion from Streams in the Desert from yesterday.
Believing Before Seeing
“The land which I do give them, even the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2).
God here speaks in the immediate present. It is not something He is going to do, but something He does do, this moment. So faith ever speaks. So God ever gives. So He is meeting you today, in the present moment. This is the test of faith. So long as you are waiting for a thing, hoping for it, looking for it, you are not believing. It may be hope, it may be earnest desire, but it is not faith; for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The command in regard to believing prayer is the present tense. “When ye pray, believe that ye receive the things that ye desire, and ye shall have them.” Have we come to that moment? Have we met God in His everlasting NOW? –Joshua, by Simpson
True faith counts on God, and believes before it sees. Naturally, we want some evidence that our petition is granted before we believe; but when we walk by faith we need no other evidence than God’s Word. He has spoken, and according to our faith it shall be done unto us. We shall see because we have believed, and this faith sustains us in the most trying places, when everything around us seems to contradict God’s Word.
The Psalmist says,“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living” (Ps. 27:13). He did not see as yet the Lord’s answer to his prayers, but he believed to see; and this kept him from fainting.
If we have the faith that believes to see, it will keep us from growing discouraged. We shall “laugh at impossibilities,” we shall watch with delight to see how God is going to open up a path through the Red Sea when there is no human way out of our difficulty. It is just in such places of severe testing that our faith grows and strengthens.
Have you been waiting upon God, dear troubled one, during long nights and weary days, and have feared that you were forgotten? Nay, lift up your head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on its way to you. –Life of Praise
Faith Becomes Sight
“Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be” (Mark 11:24).
When my little son was about ten years of age, his grandmother promised him a stamp album for Christmas. Christmas came, but no stamp album, and no word from grandmother. The matter, however, was not mentioned; but when his playmates came to see his Christmas presents, I was astonished, after he had named over this and that as gifts received, to hear him add,
“And a stamp album from grandmother.”
I had heard it several times, when I called him to me, and said, “But, Georgie, you did not get an album from your grandmother. Why do you say so?”
There was a wondering look on his face, as if he thought it strange that I should ask such a question, and he replied, “Well, mamma, grandma said, so it is the same as.” I could not say a word to check his faith.
A month went by, and nothing was heard from the album. Finally, one day, I said, to test his faith, and really wondering in my heart why the album had not been sent,
“Well, Georgie, I think grandma has forgotten her promise.”
“Oh, no, mamma,” he quickly and firmly said, “she hasn’t.”
I watched the dear, trusting face, which, for a while, looked very sober, as if debating the possibilities I had suggested. Finally a bright light passed over it, and he said,
“Mamma, do you think it would do any good if I should write to her thanking her for the album?”
“I do not know,” I said, “but you might try it.”
A rich spiritual truth began to dawn upon me. In a few minutes a letter was prepared and committed to the mail, and he went off whistling his confidence in his grandma. In just a short time a letter came, saying:
“My dear Georgie: I have not forgotten my promise to you, of an album. I tried to get such a book as you desired, but could not get the sort you wanted; so I sent on to New York. It did not get here till after Christmas, and it was still not right, so I sent for another, and as it has not come as yet, I send you three dollars to get one in Chicago. Your loving grandma.”
“As he read the letter, his face was the face of a victor. “Now, mamma, didn’t I tell you?” came from the depths of a heart that never doubted, that, “against hope, believed in hope” that the stamp album would come. While he was trusting, grandma was working, and in due season faith became sight.
It is so human to want sight when we step out on the promises of God, but our Savior said to Thomas, and to the long roll of doubters who have ever since followed him: “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.”–Mrs. Rounds
The question I have for you today is… do you have conquering faith that moves mountains? Do you see your Heavenly Father as David did?
1 Samuel 17
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
What “philistine” do you have taunting you today? Is it robbing you of your peace , joy and power? Let us remember whom we serve and whose we are- remembering where are power and victory come from! That our security is not in “things” or others but the Lord our God- Our Father who art in Heaven. Remember, as you wake each day that the Lord gives you- that we are in a war and our enemies are afoot. Knowing your victory is in the Lord and that through His power working in and through you- you can be assured of victory as David was so long ago. Remember this! It is not how big your “philistine” is that you should fret about. But, how small your view and perception is of your God and Father. This is what you should be afraid of!
Jeremiah 32:27
27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
As I read Wild at Heart, I am also reading- The Making of a Man of God- by Alan Redpath. This is a book about the lessons we can learn from the life of David. These books along with the devotional-Streams in the Desert, are encouraging me tremendously. As I walk in faith, trusting God and His perfect timing, I am finding that “my faith” is being sorely tested and thus refined. What God says through James regarding faith and patience have been in the forefront of my heart and mind. My friend Greg, from VA, called me the other day inquiring about how I was doing. Of course, he has been intimately involved in my journey and was concerned about how I was holding up. I shared with him my deep desire to be a man of faith. One who does not waiver, being tossed about by emotions and doubt. That I would walk in child-like faith, trusting my father and His love for me. That I would not let the “thief” steal my joy, peace and power.
Just last week I was really distraught in my spirit and mind and was wanting a “sign” from the Lord regarding my working with Tim and his foundation. I was crying out to God and was not experiencing peace and joy and power. Then the Spirit reminded me of this passage in James.
James 1:3-8
3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The next day, after sharing my desire with Greg for an “unwaivering faith”, we spoke again. He went on to tell me what a blessing my words were to him. In fact, he was having the best day he had had in a long while and he had shared my words with others in need of encouragement. Wow! What started as prayer request turned into a blessing for others- a Word of encouragement! What can we learn from this?
1. It is good for brothers and sisters to come together and share. We need each other!
2.We need honesty and vulnerability- Not Posing! No masks allowed!
3.Be open and available to be used of the Lord- Pass it on! Encourage, edify and show love and compassion.
4.We are all in a war and have an enemy bent on our destruction! Regardless of how “good” things appear on the surfacc.
During this journey, My Wild Goose Chase, I have become accustomed to what I will call, “the timely words from the Lord”. As I have been so focused on my faith and its purification of late- here is the devotion from Streams in the Desert from yesterday.
Believing Before Seeing
“The land which I do give them, even the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2).
God here speaks in the immediate present. It is not something He is going to do, but something He does do, this moment. So faith ever speaks. So God ever gives. So He is meeting you today, in the present moment. This is the test of faith. So long as you are waiting for a thing, hoping for it, looking for it, you are not believing. It may be hope, it may be earnest desire, but it is not faith; for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The command in regard to believing prayer is the present tense. “When ye pray, believe that ye receive the things that ye desire, and ye shall have them.” Have we come to that moment? Have we met God in His everlasting NOW? –Joshua, by Simpson
True faith counts on God, and believes before it sees. Naturally, we want some evidence that our petition is granted before we believe; but when we walk by faith we need no other evidence than God’s Word. He has spoken, and according to our faith it shall be done unto us. We shall see because we have believed, and this faith sustains us in the most trying places, when everything around us seems to contradict God’s Word.
The Psalmist says,“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living” (Ps. 27:13). He did not see as yet the Lord’s answer to his prayers, but he believed to see; and this kept him from fainting.
If we have the faith that believes to see, it will keep us from growing discouraged. We shall “laugh at impossibilities,” we shall watch with delight to see how God is going to open up a path through the Red Sea when there is no human way out of our difficulty. It is just in such places of severe testing that our faith grows and strengthens.
Have you been waiting upon God, dear troubled one, during long nights and weary days, and have feared that you were forgotten? Nay, lift up your head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on its way to you. –Life of Praise
Faith Becomes Sight
“Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be” (Mark 11:24).
When my little son was about ten years of age, his grandmother promised him a stamp album for Christmas. Christmas came, but no stamp album, and no word from grandmother. The matter, however, was not mentioned; but when his playmates came to see his Christmas presents, I was astonished, after he had named over this and that as gifts received, to hear him add,
“And a stamp album from grandmother.”
I had heard it several times, when I called him to me, and said, “But, Georgie, you did not get an album from your grandmother. Why do you say so?”
There was a wondering look on his face, as if he thought it strange that I should ask such a question, and he replied, “Well, mamma, grandma said, so it is the same as.” I could not say a word to check his faith.
A month went by, and nothing was heard from the album. Finally, one day, I said, to test his faith, and really wondering in my heart why the album had not been sent,
“Well, Georgie, I think grandma has forgotten her promise.”
“Oh, no, mamma,” he quickly and firmly said, “she hasn’t.”
I watched the dear, trusting face, which, for a while, looked very sober, as if debating the possibilities I had suggested. Finally a bright light passed over it, and he said,
“Mamma, do you think it would do any good if I should write to her thanking her for the album?”
“I do not know,” I said, “but you might try it.”
A rich spiritual truth began to dawn upon me. In a few minutes a letter was prepared and committed to the mail, and he went off whistling his confidence in his grandma. In just a short time a letter came, saying:
“My dear Georgie: I have not forgotten my promise to you, of an album. I tried to get such a book as you desired, but could not get the sort you wanted; so I sent on to New York. It did not get here till after Christmas, and it was still not right, so I sent for another, and as it has not come as yet, I send you three dollars to get one in Chicago. Your loving grandma.”
“As he read the letter, his face was the face of a victor. “Now, mamma, didn’t I tell you?” came from the depths of a heart that never doubted, that, “against hope, believed in hope” that the stamp album would come. While he was trusting, grandma was working, and in due season faith became sight.
It is so human to want sight when we step out on the promises of God, but our Savior said to Thomas, and to the long roll of doubters who have ever since followed him: “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.”–Mrs. Rounds
The question I have for you today is… do you have conquering faith that moves mountains? Do you see your Heavenly Father as David did?
1 Samuel 17
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
What “philistine” do you have taunting you today? Is it robbing you of your peace , joy and power? Let us remember whom we serve and whose we are- remembering where are power and victory come from! That our security is not in “things” or others but the Lord our God- Our Father who art in Heaven. Remember, as you wake each day that the Lord gives you- that we are in a war and our enemies are afoot. Knowing your victory is in the Lord and that through His power working in and through you- you can be assured of victory as David was so long ago. Remember this! It is not how big your “philistine” is that you should fret about. But, how small your view and perception is of your God and Father. This is what you should be afraid of!
Jeremiah 32:27
27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
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