My faith is complicated! There are a lot of questions about God, some might even call them doubts, that roll around in my head.
Do I doubt that He exists? No.
Do I doubt that He is a good God? Not at all.
Do I understand what He does? Sometimes.
Do I wonder why He allows other things to happen? Yes, most certainly!
Having my grandsons in the house for the last few days has reminded me of characteristics of my relationship with Him. Gavin and Payton understand many things about me, but at their tender age, there are many, many things that are mysteries! Even if I tried to explain, they would not ‘get it.’
A long time ago I came to the conclusion that I could spend inordinate amounts of time wrestling with my doubts and/or trying to reduce God to a size where He would fit into my life, or I could love and trust Him, fitting into His greater plan with obedience. It’s hard to do both at the same time. I am convinced that genuine faith is a choice, one we all make all the time, often without really realizing it. Every time I get into my car I put a great deal of faith in other drivers, don’t you? Every time I use a product, I am putting faith in the company that produced it. But the greatest choice of faith is to trust God and then to obey Him – even when our natural (should I say, selfish?) inclination is to do something else.
Some think that faith is only shown when we pray for things like world peace, hurricanes to be turned from cities, a friend to be healed from cancer. Certainly asking God about such things is a kind of faith. There is another faith that is quiet and persistent and much more basic to daily living. This faith shapes our actions today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives.
· I wrote a tithe check this month like I have for the last 35 years, because I have faith in God as my Provider and I believe He asks me to honor Him with the firstfruits of the income I receive. So, writing that check is, for me, an act of faith.
· I choose to discipline my affections, honoring my wife and our marriage covenant, in part because of faith in God, believing that His Word is right. So, loving her is, in part, an act of faith expressed in obedience.
· Through the years, I have forgiven those who have done wrong to me because God tells me to do so, a faith response. Sometimes I wanted to hate, to get even, but faith demanded a different response, one that required death to every natural desire!
Sure, I pray for the ‘big deals,’ too, but in those matters my faith is more complicated and sometimes I honestly am not all that sure I am even asking for the right things. Even then, I have faith that He will hear, but not necessarily do what I want Him to do.
James reminds us that we don’t create faith by doing right things, but that real faith always has visible evidence. Take a look.
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." (James 2:14-19, NIV)
The life of a disciple is a life of faith. Our lives do not center on things we can see, hold, or experience; rather we live with our hope set on the Eternal. We accept that we cannot ‘work it all out’ now, but that we can walk it out faithfully with the hope that He sees, He hears, He loves. Let me urge to you make the choice of faith today. Trust God with your life and obey. Love as He commands. Forgive, be holy, turn your eyes from things that distract. Be generous, accepting, and noble.
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1, NLT)
___________________________
You have led me
To the sadness
I have carried this pain
On a back bruised
Nearly broken
I'm crying out to You
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys
Of sorrow to rivers of joy
When death
Like a gypsy
Comes to steal what I love
I will still
Look to the heavens
I will still seek Your face
But I fear You aren't listening
Because there are no words
Just the stillness
And the hunger
For a faith that assures
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys
Of sorrow to rivers of joy
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Alleluia
While we wait
For rescue
With our eyes tightly shut
Face to the ground
Using our hands
To cover the fatal cut
Though the pain
Is an ocean
Tossing us around, around, around
You have calmed
Greater waters
Higher mountains
Have come down
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys
Of sorrow to rivers of joy
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Alleluia
The Valley Song
Jars of Clay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvHMjILrSJ0
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