Faith Matters

“…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

Today’s blog continues the story (from the last two blogs) in which Jesus had been speaking of a persistent widow and her pleas to an unjust judge for justice. She eventually received what she asked for because of her determination (she kept bothering him). If the unjust judge was able to finally give in, would not the God of the universe even more bring about justice for His chosen ones?

Jesus ends His story by asking a profound question: “However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

1. Do I take the time to cry out to God?
2. Do I consider prayer a useful or useless thing to do? How do I define useful and useless?
3. Am I willing to step out in faith and keep asking, even though prayer is time-consuming, energy encompassing and completely painful to put my deepest longings out there when I know very well they could be crushed? Am I willing to “be crushed” in order to know God more and to find His good?
4. There are two things this passage teaches me to do: have faith and keep asking.

It is my faith in God that settles me on my knees to go back to Him again and again. I believe that He hears my cries. I believe that God is who He says He is.

The widow received justice. Her prayers were answered. But it took much work, tears and fighting for what she believed. Notice, she didn’t fight or try to convince her offenders. Perhaps she had tried and she knew now that the attempts would be a waste of time.

She went to the only one who could help her cause.

God is the only One who can really help me in my trials. I may try to gain justice on my own, but when it comes down to it, the lack of resolution (after I’ve tried) can only be answered by God himself.

That’s where my faith comes in.

My flesh wants to give up, to give in to despair or to stay in confusion and anger at my offender.

God wants my eyes to stay focused on Him. All the other choices are stormy waves that distract me from my godly walking adventure on the waters of life.

When I am at my wits end, when I have no other paths to take or options to try, but when I still put one foot in front of the other and live a holy life for God, that is faith.

Faith is the prayer and the release of the prayer into His hands.
Faith is finding joy, even in the tears.
Faith is addressing my Lord and Savior with my greatest requests, especially when I don’t have time and especially when I don’t feel like it.
Faith is jumping from the ledge of comfort into the realm of the unknown because I give my trust to Christ.
It is realizing that the energy to love and serve despite what feels like unanswered prayer IS an answer to my unspoken prayers.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15,16)

Learning to soar above my trials is ultimately better than the resolution of my trials. It is a part of becoming holy as He is holy. It is realizing how this earth has little to offer me in the long run. But what God has to offer is eternal.

The justice with which God may provide me is His ability in me to focus on Him more than on my trial.

Father, I thank you for my trials, for I see you in every aspect of them. I feel your comfort and hear your encouragements through song and verses that come to mind. I see you in the bright sunshine and hear you in the sound of birds throughout the day. Make me holy. I surrender my life to you. Strengthen my faith. Your will be done. In Jesus name, Amen.

My Last Penny

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

Last week, I didn’t realize there was one tiny verse that I left out. And it has been a shining light for me, far more than the first part of this passage.

Learning to seek the deeper meaning of the verses I read, I’ve discovered bigger barns in my life that have to do with more than simply possessions.

Being rich toward God matters in our lives that we give Him.

Here are a few places I need to improve in my richness toward God:

1. I store negatives of life in my mind and forget to praise Him.
2. I internalize what makes me unhappy; it becomes about my hurt versus my trust in God.
3. My hunger for food overrides my hunger for God.
4. Thinking about tomorrow’s finances grabs my attention versus my faith that God will provide.
5. The small irritations of life become so big, it blinds me to the more important things I should be doing for God’s kingdom.
6. I have become hooked on the next episode of certain shows. I anticipate the next story versus my anticipation of God’s next powerful act in my life.
7. MY life matters more than justice and kindness in the things that matter most to God…the least of these.
8. I store up bad moods and allow the enemy to rule over me and fail to give to His people in love.
9. The opposite of storing up in barns can still be harmful. For example: NOT putting away any savings or planning for my life is procrastination. I’ll just wait until tomorrow to start my retirement, my diet or exercise. I’ll stay up late and watch a movie again tonight because I’m lonely. I say, “I will eventually get around to giving up this habit.” I say, “I’m trusting God,” but really I’m being foolish by not counting the cost of how these things eat into my soul. In the end I become a burden to others. This isn’t richness toward God either.
10. I store up insensitivities, offenses, grudges, self-pity, sadness, overwhelming feelings, emotions and forget that God made me strong and mighty in the land. He is my richness, my power, my ability to obey the impossible. I can give to God when I rely on His power, when I surrender all. I can do all things through Christ.

Father, I give my last penny, like the widow in the Bible, in my extravagant love for others. May my life be rich toward you, Lord Jesus. Help me move from self to surrender. May it be to me as you have said. God, I could list all my wants and this page wouldn’t be enough. It all leaves me, however, in a void. My heart knows who to turn to and it’s not any of these things. It’s you, Lord. I give my desire for all I desire to you. I repent of my wayward focus by finding new ways to live by your word. You are my all in all. In Jesus name, Amen.