Faith
I've been wanting to write down some thoughts on faith. Reading through the book of Luke and just noticing and thinking on many verses and principles, i think i am getting a better picture of what pleases the Lord in this respect.
I have tended to practice, you might say, that God is sovereign and will do what He will do, regardless of the amount of faith that we excercise. But Scripture seems to indicate differently.
Early in the gospels Christ tries to minister in his own community and he notes that he cannot do many works there because of their lack of faith. This appalled me - that He would be limited by their lack of faith.
Then there is the instance of the Centurian's servant who asks Jesus but to say a word and heal him - Jesus states that he has not found so great faith, not in Israel.
There is the beautiful story in Luke 7 of the woman, a sinner, who came into the Pharissee's house that had invited Christ for dinner - and brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at His feet weeping and washed His feet with her tears and anointed His feet with the ointment. Christ used her as an example and told her that her faith had saved her - to go in peace.
When Christ comes upon a storm in the water with his disciples, they get desperate, but He asks them- Where is your faith?
When the woman with the issue of blood touched his garment, He sensed the power that had gone out of Him as a direct result of her faith - He told her that her faith had made her whole and to go in peace.
Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him - for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
These people in Christ's time saw so many incredible things - the mount of transfiguration and many miracles, yet they still sometimes lacked faith.
But Christ also says that those who have not seen Him and yet believe are even more blessed for their faith. I believe it is harder to have faith in Him today than it was then, merely for the amount of signs there were back then.
If someone is looking for God, they will find Him.
It takes faith to follow Him.
And then there is the whole issue of faith in what we ask of Him. We're supposed to ask in faith, nothing wavering.
That involves righteous living from the inside out, because otherwise I cannot muster up enough faith to ask confidently of Him if I am not doing what He asks already.
When I am walking with the Lord and know it, I know my desires line up with His and He will not deny any good thing I ask of Him. Just as a father loves to give his child good things when he is obedient, so my Father is just waiting for me to ask something of Him when I am walking obediently and it gives Him great pleasure to do so.
What are your thoughts?
I have tended to practice, you might say, that God is sovereign and will do what He will do, regardless of the amount of faith that we excercise. But Scripture seems to indicate differently.
Early in the gospels Christ tries to minister in his own community and he notes that he cannot do many works there because of their lack of faith. This appalled me - that He would be limited by their lack of faith.
Then there is the instance of the Centurian's servant who asks Jesus but to say a word and heal him - Jesus states that he has not found so great faith, not in Israel.
There is the beautiful story in Luke 7 of the woman, a sinner, who came into the Pharissee's house that had invited Christ for dinner - and brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at His feet weeping and washed His feet with her tears and anointed His feet with the ointment. Christ used her as an example and told her that her faith had saved her - to go in peace.
When Christ comes upon a storm in the water with his disciples, they get desperate, but He asks them- Where is your faith?
When the woman with the issue of blood touched his garment, He sensed the power that had gone out of Him as a direct result of her faith - He told her that her faith had made her whole and to go in peace.
Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Without faith it is impossible to please Him - for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.
These people in Christ's time saw so many incredible things - the mount of transfiguration and many miracles, yet they still sometimes lacked faith.
But Christ also says that those who have not seen Him and yet believe are even more blessed for their faith. I believe it is harder to have faith in Him today than it was then, merely for the amount of signs there were back then.
If someone is looking for God, they will find Him.
It takes faith to follow Him.
And then there is the whole issue of faith in what we ask of Him. We're supposed to ask in faith, nothing wavering.
That involves righteous living from the inside out, because otherwise I cannot muster up enough faith to ask confidently of Him if I am not doing what He asks already.
When I am walking with the Lord and know it, I know my desires line up with His and He will not deny any good thing I ask of Him. Just as a father loves to give his child good things when he is obedient, so my Father is just waiting for me to ask something of Him when I am walking obediently and it gives Him great pleasure to do so.
What are your thoughts?
posted by La Profesora at 11/07/2006 02:00:00 PM
5 Comments:
I've never really thought about how much Faith I have in God. There are times I know when I pray and my expectations are low...depending on the situation.
There was a message I heard some time ago that I often remember that asked me "How Big is Your God?" Sometimes, I make my God very samll and very powerless, by my own lack of faith! There is a line in Ann of Green Gables where Ann asks Marilla is she is every afraid, and Marilla says "To be afraid, is to turn your back on God."
Matthew 17:20 "Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
If this is true, how small is my faith?
I've reached a new level of Faith, as of late, because I can see how God works through everything. Nothing is insignificant...not to God at least.
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powerful thoughts. everyone comes to a point in their life where they need something from God. Lord, increase my faith.
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