Have Faith in God

Mark 11:22

Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could not have fought "Apollyon;" it needed "Christian" to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain "Giant Despair;" it required "Great-heart's" arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, "It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;" but Great-faith remembers the promise, "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:" and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:" and she fords the stream at once. Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then "have faith in God." If you love darkness, and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith; but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly this best gift, "great faith". C.H. Spurgeon

"We see a hearse; we think sorrow.

We see a grave; we think despair.

We hear of a death; we think of a loss.

Not so in heaven.

 When heaven sees a breathless body,

 it sees the vacated cocoon

 and the liberated butterfly."

 --Max Lucado

Risk of Faith

At the beginning of Elijah's ministry, God sent him to stay with a widow and her son. When he first arrived, Elijah asked the widow for some bread. The woman sadly said she only had enough for one final meal. "I don't have any bread – only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it – and die." (1 Kings 17:12)

The widow had completely given up on life. She believed she was preparing her last meal, but Elijah told her to trust God and make him something to eat out of the remaining flour. Elijah said it was God's plan to provide for all her needs... but she must believe.

In verse 14, Elijah continues, saying, "For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.'"

The widow could have used the remaining food to feed herself and her son, but she risked all she had and did as Elijah requested. Even though she could not see the extra food nor understand how it would arrive, she had faith in God's Word and took action based on her faith. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

The risk was great, but God's promise and provision were even greater. "So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:15-16)

Taking a step of faith ALWAYS requires risk – always requires stepping into the unknown. If we could see every detail about where God was leading and how He would provide, we wouldn't need faith. But if there is any "success" to be had in the Christian walk, it will only come as we daily live by faith; as we live each and every moment by listening intently for the call of God and then trusting Him, even through our fear, as we step into what we cannot see. This is where the true blessings of God reside.

When God calls us to a place where we must be "certain of what we do not see," we must boldly step. We must overcome our fears with a faith grounded in the promises of His Word and trust Him with all our heart to never leave our side.

There are so many who live their life without hope. Their circumstances seem to indicate that all is lost and they have been abandoned by God. And yet, He continues to call and promises hope through faith and trust; but we must take the step! Let's compassionately share this message of hope all around the world. If we are careful to listen, we most certainly will hear His call. He is faithful and will never lead us astray. So when we hear His call, let's be prepared to step and take the risk of faith. Unknown Author

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition...' 1 Samuel 1:27 NKJV

Every terrorist was once a child. So was every missionary. The difference between them is often the influence of a parent. Samuel the prophet led the nation of Israel for 40 years and guided it through a crucial time of transition, but who was the dominant influence in his life? His mother! Listen, 'Therefore Ihave lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord...' (1 Samuel 1:28 NKJV) While you have your children, hold them, love them, care for them and empower them but understand that you are a steward, not an owner. Your children belong to God, not you! Some day they will grow up and leave. Make sure that when they do they have a spiritual anchor because life will give them lots of storms. Never underestimate the power of a parent pleading with God on behalf of a child. Who knows how many prayers are being answered right now because of the faithful pondering of a mother 10 or 20 years ago? If what you are doing in this fast paced society is taking you away from prayer time for your children; you're doing too much! There is nothing more special, more precious, than the time a parent spends interceding with God on behalf of a child. It's not too late for the child who brought you tears. Think of Jesus' mother who had to watch her son crucified but also had the joy of seeing Him raised from the dead. You may go to your grave wondering if your prayers will ever be answered but don't stop praying. Why? Because when mothers pray, God listens! Bill & Debby Gass

'...Your thoughts...are the source of true life.' Proverbs 4:23 CEV

 Teach your child to ask themselves these two questions: (1) 'How will I feel afterwards?' What outlasts our decisions are the subsequent feelings of selfrespect versus shame, and positive selfworth versus negative selfworth. Our actions ultimately become history, but our thoughts about them continue to shape our future. 'Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.' Children with selfrespect are much less likely to indulge in promiscuous sex, drugs, drinking, antisocial and illegal behaviours. Selfrespect and selfworth are internal standards which we are loathed to violate. Giving in to selfish choices is like abandoning the moral core of our being - the sacred soul God gave us. (2) 'How will the people I value feel about me after this decision?' The trust and respect of others is always needed to succeed. Reputation trumps money, even in the secular marketplace. 'Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.' (Proverbs 22:1 NLT) Poor decisionmaking can earn us a reputation that'll haunt our prospects indefinitely. 'A person who plans (chooses) evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker.' (Proverbs 24:8 NLT) When you get a negative reputation, it's hard to recover from it (Proverbs 25:10). The shortterm benefits of making poor decisions lead to longterm losses and regrets. The person God blesses must '...exercise selfcontrol, live wisely, and have a good reputation...' (1 Timothy 3:2 NLT)  Bill & Debby Gass

 '...A man reaps what he sows.' Galatians 6:7 NIV

It's said, 'Yard by yard life is hard, inch by inch life's a cinch!' For their life to go right, your children must learn to think right. So teach them to ask: (1) 'What are my options in this situation?' But do it with the right attitude. If your face is like thunder when you talk to them, they'll run for cover. Brainstorm with them, writing down every option that's offered. Tell them that no answers are wrong and no idea will be judged as silly; all suggestions are accepted and valued. You're priming their creative pump, encouraging them to think for themselves. (2) 'What benefits come from each option?' The goal is not to coerce them, but for them to discover and embrace the truth for themselves. And that comes through patience, not pressure. Ask them to list which benefits seem most important to them. (3) 'What negative consequences come from each option?' Children can be brutally honest. That's ok; it's just part of learning God's causeandeffect law of sowing and reaping. Indeed, many adult regrets could have been avoided by following this law. Don't preach or rant about how terrible the consequences are. Teach them to question themselves, 'Am I willing to accept the consequences? How would they change my life?' (4) 'What personal values are involved in this decision?' Valuesbased decisions call us to the high road rather than the path of least resistance. Suggest some godly values as primers, such as truthfulness, trustworthiness, loyalty, responsibility, compassion, friendship, selfdenial, courage, honour, faith etc. Break it down small for younger children, but don't miss your opportunity. Bill & Debby Gass

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...' Joshua 24:15 NIV

Good decisionmaking is the key to a happy life. But good decisionmaking is not a skill some of us are naturally blessed with, while poor decisionmaking is a handicap others seem to be born with. Courage, education or the ageing process don't automatically produce better decisionmakers. Spending time with good decisionmakers is wise, but it doesn't necessarily rub off on you. And the earlier you teach this skill to your children, the better (Proverbs 22:6). So teach your children the following principles: (1) The consequences you get are the result of the choices you make. Let your children know it's not their circumstances, but decisions they make about them, that govern their lives. You may think your children know this, but they don't. Their 'wiring problem' makes 'cause and effect' difficult to connect until their brain reaches late adolescence. Asking, 'What were you thinking about?' will just invite the famous shoulder shrug and blank stare. They're not stupid - they just need guidance. (2) You will always have options Children commonly feel powerless and hopeless when reacting to negative circumstances. They tend to be 'either/or' thinkers, concluding that things are either all good or all bad. Teach them 'both/and' thinking, because things can be bad yet you can choose to make good decisions about them. 'Either/or' thinking frequently produces children who become pessimistic, disempowered, easily manipulated, depressed adults. Knowing they always have good options prevents circumstances from dictating their lives. Bill & Debby Gass

Be still, and know that I am God...' Psalm 46:10 NIV

 Give God your whispering thoughts. Throughout the centuries, Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers. These are prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting. Frank Laubach sought unbroken communion with God by asking Him questions. Every two or three minutes he would pray, 'Am I in Your will, Lord? Am I pleasing You, Lord?' Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By the time your life is over, you will have spent six months at traffic lights, eight months opening junk mail, a year and a half looking for lost stuff, and a whopping five years standing waiting in various queues. Why don't you give these moments to God? By giving Him your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as 'Thank You, Father,' or 'I stand on Your Word,' or 'My desire is to please You,' can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn't leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral and the classroom a chapel. Give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on Him. Conclude the day as you began it - talking to God. Thank Him for the good parts. Question Him about the hard parts. Seek His mercy. Seek His strength. As you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise, 'He who watches over [you] will neither slumber nor sleep.' (Psalm 121:4 NIV) If you fall asleep as you pray, don't worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father. Bill & Debby Gass

'...Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer.' Psalm 5:3 NCV

It takes time, but eventually sheep grow familiar with the voice of their shepherd and learn to trust him for everything they need. So how can you become equally familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:

(1) Give God your waking thoughts With your head on your pillow and your eyes still closed, offer God the first seconds of your day. Say, 'Thank You for a night's rest. Today I belong to You.' CS Lewis wrote: 'The moment you wake up each morning...all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.'

(2) Give God your waiting thoughts The mature married couple has learned the treasure of shared silence; they don't need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. 'Be still, and know that I am God...' (Psalm 46:10 NIV) Awareness of God is the result of stillness before God. Jesus prayed, 'That [they] may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe...' (John 17:21 NIV) When are you most deeply aware of Christ's presence 'in you' as He promised? To what degree have you consciously invited Him to be more and more at home in your heart? How has your practice of intimacy with God developed in the last few years? Bill & Debby Gass

STAND STILL !

ONE OF THE MOST NEEDFUL lessons the child of God can learn is to stand still--to wait upon the Lord and to see His salvation. Remember . . . God never slumbers . . .

The righteous soul that is wrongly treated will know the vindication of the Lord. It may be delayed but it will surely come.

Our case—yours and mine—is in God’s hands. He is fully awake to our needs. And He reminds us: “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” So often we delay His deliverance on our behalf because we take things into our own hands. We think we can do better for ourselves than God will do for us. Then God may allow us to shift for ourselves until we realize the futility of trusting in our own strength and wisdom.

The Word of God tells us that “The Lord reigneth.” That’s an absolute statement and a present fact. Therefore, we can afford to wait and be calm until He acts. He will do so at the right moment. But we must not try to hurry Him! His time and way for our vindication or deliverance are always best. His wisdom and love are always working for our good.

“Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

(Published by the Crew of the Good Ship Grace, Inc.,

Hollywood, CA. Vol. 36 No. 36 December, 1971)

~~~~~~~~~~

And I will deal severely with all

who have oppressed you. I will save the

weak and helpless ones, and bring together

those who were chased away.

I will give glory to my former exiles, mocked and shamed.

Zephaniah 3:19