We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be
so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith—
faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His
opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of
your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself.
God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a
life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life
of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of
experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of
light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach
you to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony.
Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
I love how this article reminds us that sometimes what we think is a trial and a test of our faith is really just life happening. In my heart, I am confident that whatever I face, that God is with me. I often think of my family members that don't have that assurance and it just breaks my heart. Lord, may I always strive to more and more like you and not get sucked into the daily drama.
ReplyDeleteI find it often trying to try to rationalize God and the fault lies in my trying to reconcile my idea of a just and righteous God against the backdrop of a fallen sin laden world. We should not ask "How can God allow tragedy in our life at times" but rather "How can God have the patience and love to not totally destroy this world" Praise the Lord that he is long suffering and patient with me and others. The abundant examples in scriptures of those who suffered for the faith help me to put into better perspective the difficulties I and almost everyone else is facing.
ReplyDeleteFaith -a most difficult thing in religion. Because that is something we can't touch or see. Its God's grace that he gave us the Christian a gift. But we must use it and practice it daily.
ReplyDelete