The Way of Faith

Hebrews 11:23-28

Many people consider Moses a biblical "pillar" of Old Testament days—a man without equal in godliness. Most likely, he'd have laughed at such a thought. Sure, He was called to do mighty things with the Lord's help. And he encountered the presence of the Almighty in a most unusual way. But like us, he was a normal, sinful human being. What the New Testament commends him for, though, was something we all can have: belief.

Today's verses comes from the passage known as the Bible's "Hall of Faith." Those honored with inclusion in this chapter were chosen because they acted obediently and God achieved great things through them.

We, too, can watch His hand in our lives as we act on faith. When we trust and obey, God demonstrates His power and shows that He truly is Lord. By operating out of His strength and through our weakness, He teaches us to rely upon Him.

That's not to say the path is easy; Jesus warned that the way of faith includes suffering. Indeed, many early Christians were beaten or killed for His sake, and faith is still met with harsh persecution in various places around the world. While that may not be our experience, each of us has encountered ridicule, misunderstanding, or lost friendships because we follow Christ.

Even mild persecution can cause us to question whether living out our faith is worth the sacrifice. Rest assured it is the best way to live. God responds to faith by enabling His children to endure difficulty, demonstrating His power in their circumstances, and providing contentment and joy.

Our Greatest Treasure

Matthew 8:5-13

What do you consider your most prized possession? A house, car, boat, or cash would likely be high on most folks' list. But even treasures and luxuries won't bring lasting satisfaction—why else do so many men and women keep trading up and adding to their collection? Sadly, in the race to have "better" and "more," a lot of people overlook the most valuable asset of all: faith.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen"—and this corresponds to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Faith isn't something we can work to obtain; rather, it is a gift from the Lord.

Consider the power that God makes available. Jesus said that faith as small as a mustard seed—one of the smallest seeds in existence—enables us to do miraculous deeds (Matt. 17:20). In the book of Acts, for example, we see that the apostles' belief led to numerous healings (3:1-8; 5:16). And Matthew's gospel tells us that through a Canaanite woman's faith, her daughter was freed from demonic possession (15:22-28).

Trust in Christ is even more than an avenue to miracles; it is the way to salvation. The Bible states that there is nothing we can do to achieve eternal security in God's kingdom; we are saved only by His grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

The best way to move forward is by first receiving life's greatest gift—faith in the Savior. Romans 10:9 says to "confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Salvation and abundant life are found nowhere else.

The Importance of Right Motives

1 Samuel 17:20-40
David found King Saul's hefty reward for Goliath's defeat interesting—in fact, he asked to have it repeated twice (vv. 26, 30). Money, freedom, and a pretty girl would make almost any teenage boy take notice! However, though David was young, he was not foolhardy. The reward was a nice perk, but it wasn't the young shepherd's motivation.
David's reason for standing against Goliath was to serve the Lord. The boy openly expressed his disdain for the giant: "For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (1 Sam. 17:26). Challenging the chosen nation, Israel, was the same as defying the Lord Himself. David was prepared to defend Yahweh's holy name and His people, even against this fearsome warrior. A right and holy motive gives a person confidence to obey God, even if doing so defies human wisdom.
It is possible for believers to seek victory over life's Goliaths with wrong motives. A lot of reasons that sound good are actually selfish. I'm tired of being in this mess. Or Lord, I can't run away, so You'll have to remove this problem. Some people try to bargain their way out of tight spots: If I had more money, then I'd give more to the church. Those promises are rarely fulfilled.
The right motive for facing a problem is a desire to follow, serve, and honor God, no matter what. Life's Goliaths do not just tax our comfort or wellbeing; these challenges can impede our obedient walk with the Lord. He will give victory to those who stand strong in His name.

Defeating Our Goliaths

1 Samuel 17:45-47
Life's Goliaths come in all shapes, sizes, and intensities: an unhappy relationship, a difficult job, a rebellious child, a pile of debt, an uncontrollable habit, etc. David faced what appeared to be an insurmountable problem. Like Him, we can gain victory through God's power, though we may "suffer and bleed" on the battlefield.
Notice that David declared victory over Goliath before the battle even began (1 Sam. 17:46). The shepherd's confidence was rooted in his past experiences. David credited God with protecting and strengthening him when he killed the lion and bear that had threatened his flock.
Furthermore, David believed he would triumph because he was God's servant. The boy had spent hours alone in the wilderness listening to God's quiet voice. Even a giant's discouraging shout could not shake his convictions about who the Lord was and what He could do through His servant.
David had practical faith habits. He spent time with God, which yielded a strong relationship. In turn, he responded to a problem with the certainty that he was a beloved child of God with full access to his Father's storehouses of power, courage, and wisdom. If David had a moment of doubt, he could recall his own poetic words about the Lord's great faithfulness in past troubles.
I often encourage you to practice David's faith habits. Spend time alone with the Lord, and keep a record of His work in your life. Then you can be confident that God is sufficient, no matter how big a problem looms. He gives victory to those who stand in faith and confront their Goliaths.

A Special Purpose

Psalm 150
The Lord has made us a special people in order that we may fulfill a special purpose. Isaiah 43:21 says, "The people I formed for Myself will declare My praise." An integral part of worshiping the Lord is proclaiming His greatness.
To praise our Father is to applaud Him for who He is and what He has done. This involves the release of our emotions, which frees us to express unrestrained adoration of the Lord. When someone loves another person, the most natural response is to speak highly about the cherished one. In the same way, those who love Christ find that praise comes easily to their lips.
Praising the Lord is good for us. In our self-centered society, people are primarily interested in getting their own needs met. Sadly, this same attitude has infiltrated some churches. But God doesn't want us to come to church concerned only about ourselves. Praise lifts our eyes to Christ and fills our hearts with the contentment that eludes us when we focus exclusively on personal needs and problems.
Although praise and worship are usually associated with church services, they ought to characterize us wherever we are. Some of the most intimate and precious experiences of worship can happen during times spent alone with God.
If you find that your praise lacks vitality, tell the Lord you want to learn to extol Him with your whole heart. The focus of worship is the key. Remember how God has cared for you, and look for daily evidence of His hand on your life. Then tell Him how great He is.

Special People

1 Peter 2:9-10

Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God's Word rather than our emotions. Today we are going to examine four phrases that describe how the Lord sees every believer.

• A Chosen Race. God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because He wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God is insignificant.

• A Royal Priesthood. As believers, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are "heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.

• A Holy Nation. The church—or body of Christ—is a group of people who are holy, which means "set apart" for the purposes of God. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.

• A People for God's Own Possession. You and I are the personal possessions of God (Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). He so values each of us that He sent His Son to die in our place in order that we could be His.

Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on you. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can't change who you really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering your real identity and living out your high calling from the Lord.

God Has Time for You

Mark 10:46-52

Because time is such a precious commodity in our fast-paced culture, it is also a tremendously valuable gift we can give someone else. Jesus was the ultimate model of balanced time management. He demonstrated His love for mankind by being available.

Did you ever notice that there are no biblical accounts of our Lord hurrying? You will never come across a verse saying that He "ran to Bethany" or "rushed back to Galilee." Wherever the Savior went, He was sensitive to the needs of the people around Him and reached out in love to help. He wasn't so busy that He could not be interrupted.

Right before He went to the cross to accomplish the most important work of His life, Jesus stopped to help a poor blind beggar, who was a nobody in the eyes of society. Although the redemption of mankind was vitally important, the Lord cared enough about the suffering of one lowly individual to stop and do what He could to relieve the man's suffering.

If the Lord allowed Himself to be interrupted on the way to the cross, will He not also stop and listen when you call out to Him in your distress? He is never too busy governing the universe to hear His beloved child's cry for help.

In order to follow in Christ's footsteps, we have to ask ourselves, Am I willing to be interrupted? We are stewards of all God gives us, including our time. Consider this precious commodity a resource to be used when reaching out in love as Christ did. Give someone your time today.

The Source of Our Strength

Ephesians 6:10-12
People can have very different reactions to similar circumstances. For instance, suppose two women from the same church are battling cancer—let's call them Jean and Barbara. Both are believers, but only Jean is living peacefully, even joyfully, through her ordeal—she long ago admitted her weakness and need for the Lord's intervention. While Barbara prays for God to "help me get through this," Jean says, "God, I cannot. Please carry me through."
Jean knows that Jesus Christ is the source of her strength, but Barbara is relying mostly upon herself. Everyone has a certain amount of fortitude, but what human capacity can carry a person only so far. Some situations will sap every drop of energy we have and still demand more. Through the Holy Spirit, believers can access an endless well of supernatural power to triumph in any trial.
However, the second woman is not receiving the same infusion of the Spirit's power as Jean. Barbara wants help—which is why she desperately calls out to the Lord—but refuses to admit that she cannot face cancer alone. In truth, we all dislike acknowledging that we are weak. Human pride is a potent force that must be uprooted before we can be filled with the Spirit's power.
Our weakness frees God to make His greatest triumphs. His power is loosed when His children admit they are not in control and can do nothing to help themselves. Only then do we find the energy, courage, and peace we need to go on living for His glory.

A Time to Suffer

James 1:1-4
Yesterday's devotion noted that Joseph suffered 13 years before he was pulled from adversity. God could have fixed that mess more quickly or, better yet, prevented Joseph from enduring it at all. But can you imagine a 17-year-old boy skipping into Egypt and sitting down at Pharaoh's right hand? Certainly the Lord's power could make such an unlikely event happen. But would a slightly arrogant, ignorant Hebrew teenager make a good leader? Not until God made him into one.
Our suffering lasts only as long as necessary for God to accomplish His purpose. He is interested in equipping servants and molding followers rather than in providing carefree lives. Yet the Father deeply loves His children—that's why He shares in their hurts and limits the hardship so it doesn't extend one moment beyond its usefulness.
Adversity is God's sharpest and strongest tool for re-forming believers to Christ's image, but He will not force change. The Lord molds His children in proportion to their willingness to be shaped for divinely appointed work. We can refuse to submit to His craftsmanship, but rebellion only prolongs the pain. The wise approach is to say, "God, I do not understand why You have allowed this hardship, but I am willing to follow You through it."
The faithful child of God emerges from trials prepared and equipped to serve God. This is the believer who values obedience and prioritizes prayer and Bible study long before adversity comes. When the going gets tough, he knows that the Holy Spirit's power is sufficient to carry him through.

The Dark Moments in Our Life

Acts 14:21-22

If you want a meaningful life, you will at times travel the road of adversity. However, every hardship in your path has a specific purpose. Our Father allows pain and trials into His good plan for our life (Rom. 8:28).

When we are facing dark times, the first word that comes to mind is usually Why? God welcomes our questions but challenges us to obey Him, even when we don't get answers (Prov. 3:5-6). In fact, we may have to wait months or years before knowing the purpose behind a trial. Sometimes the answers don't come at all in this lifetime.

Joseph spent 13 harsh, dark years in Egypt. He faced betrayal, separation from loved ones, and culture shock followed by slavery, false accusations, and prison time. His only evidence of a sovereign, loving God was that he consistently prospered, even during times of trouble.

Everything Joseph endured prepared him for a job as Egypt's prime minister. While still a boy, he learned the language, culture, and mindset of a foreign nation. Moreover, the man who emerged from hardship was the Lord's disciplined, faithful servant. In the end, Joseph was positioned to save more than a country; he rescued God's chosen people—the family tree of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Living in the center of the Lord's love doesn't guarantee an easy, pain-free life. In fact, the opposite is true. God loves believers so much that He conforms each one to His Son's likeness through any means necessary. In His expert hand, we become servants whose victories and trials glorify Him.