More Faith
Often times, we are our own worst enemies in our Christian walk. We expect instant gratification as humans. Therefore, when our answers to our prayers don’t appear immediately, we become impatient and begin to lose faith, seeking our own avenues to unanswered prayer.
I think about Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. The Red Sea SEPARATED for the Israelites to cross, and then it closed to destroy the Egyptians as they followed. Now that is a HUGE miracle! A miracle of that proportion should satisfy anyone’s faith for the rest of their life. (So it seems to me.)
But then, only three days after this amazing feat of God, and the Israelites could find no drinkable water, they grumbled to Moses in Exodus 15:24, saying, “What are we to drink?” Had they forgotten about their Red Sea experience three days earlier?
God makes the water drinkable for them through Moses. A little later, when they reach the Desert of Sin, they begin to grumble, again, to Moses. In Exodus 16:3, the Israelites say to him, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Their desert experiences continually prove their lack of faith. And they even WITNESSED numerous miracles in that time!
As I read about the Israelites, I wonder how they could be so stupid. Then, I’m quickly convicted that God may think the same thing of me.
I can’t tell you how many times I have gone round and round about a particular issue in my life that I’ve been waiting on God - for a number of years - to show me the way. I’ll get restless and impatient, and decide to “do something on my own.” Oh, it may not seem like anything that could get in the way of God’s plan -- but it does. It sidetracks me; it distracts me from my goal in front of me. It never works out. Then God quietly nudges me, again, and reminds me to "Be Still". You would think by now I would have learned not to jump ahead of God’s plan. I’m no different than the Israelites.
You see, we all have to work on our faith, constantly, and feed it every day, so we don’t get outside of God’s plan for our lives. It’s our lack of faith that keeps us from that plan.
Mark 9 talks about the healing of a boy with an evil spirit. Jesus asks the father about the boy, and the man says to Jesus in verse 22, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Jesus replies in verse 23, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” to which the boys father immediately exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Without a close, personal relationship with Jesus, our faith and belief will quickly falter. We can’t stop believing, or we will soon lose our faith for His plan in our lives.
I think about Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. The Red Sea SEPARATED for the Israelites to cross, and then it closed to destroy the Egyptians as they followed. Now that is a HUGE miracle! A miracle of that proportion should satisfy anyone’s faith for the rest of their life. (So it seems to me.)
But then, only three days after this amazing feat of God, and the Israelites could find no drinkable water, they grumbled to Moses in Exodus 15:24, saying, “What are we to drink?” Had they forgotten about their Red Sea experience three days earlier?
God makes the water drinkable for them through Moses. A little later, when they reach the Desert of Sin, they begin to grumble, again, to Moses. In Exodus 16:3, the Israelites say to him, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Their desert experiences continually prove their lack of faith. And they even WITNESSED numerous miracles in that time!
As I read about the Israelites, I wonder how they could be so stupid. Then, I’m quickly convicted that God may think the same thing of me.
I can’t tell you how many times I have gone round and round about a particular issue in my life that I’ve been waiting on God - for a number of years - to show me the way. I’ll get restless and impatient, and decide to “do something on my own.” Oh, it may not seem like anything that could get in the way of God’s plan -- but it does. It sidetracks me; it distracts me from my goal in front of me. It never works out. Then God quietly nudges me, again, and reminds me to "Be Still". You would think by now I would have learned not to jump ahead of God’s plan. I’m no different than the Israelites.
You see, we all have to work on our faith, constantly, and feed it every day, so we don’t get outside of God’s plan for our lives. It’s our lack of faith that keeps us from that plan.
Mark 9 talks about the healing of a boy with an evil spirit. Jesus asks the father about the boy, and the man says to Jesus in verse 22, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Jesus replies in verse 23, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” to which the boys father immediately exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Without a close, personal relationship with Jesus, our faith and belief will quickly falter. We can’t stop believing, or we will soon lose our faith for His plan in our lives.
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