In the words of...
Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost For His Highest, here is the thought for the day:
THE UNSURPASSED INTIMACY OF TESTED FAITH
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)
Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, "It's all a lie"?...
...Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, "I believe 'God shall supply all [my] need,'" the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. "We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end..." (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God---trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
posted by Lorie @ 12:01 PM
4 Comments:
This is a great passage; so true.
that's so encouraging to me lorie.. thanks.
Great post, especially the part that when we get furhter along the journey we find that we do contradict ourselves...all the time. I know that like many I give alot to God, but not all.
Great post. It's got me thinking, however deep, has puyt me in a happy place at work.
And what a challenging thought that is. I love the passage in John that kicks off his line of thinking, where Martha has stated that she believes but when Christ asks for the stone to be rolled away she balks. I find myself doing that all to often, giving God the lip service of my faith but falling on my face when He puts it to the test. And yet if we believe we might just get to see Him raise a man from the dead.
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