The trial of our faith will come!

(Hebrews 11:33)  “Who through faith… stopped the mouths of lions.”

Wait! There seem to be much more to faith than initially uncovered, in my understanding anyway. The pending question I woke up to this morning and now requires correct biblical answers is why do I habitually continually do what I do? In fact why does everyone do what they do without any apparent change to their lives? Let me re-phrase that, any drastic changes to their lives. Yesterday we but scratched the surface.

I concluded with only a portion of the counsel, it is far more specific and personal; it’s one thing to say we believe and want to hold onto faith when times are tough. But our emphasis now needs to shift from the idea to an actual living experience.

It is easy to believe that God is capable of all things and many of us believe Him to be God and we pay Him due benevolence as the only true God. But where the “takkie hits the tar” is when we find ourselves alone staring down the barrel of faith. The proof of it all is our reaction to the trial. This understanding has been a revelation and it happened overnight. I will by scripture now prove my consideration.

I concluded yesterday’s blog with this statement; “We too just like Abraham must believe God if we are to see Him smile back at us.” Like I said it is easy to believe God is capable; But do we believe that He can do it in our lives, there is a huge rift between the two mind-sets. 

Believe God for what should be our next question! Let us look at some text; “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13)

Faith will test our commitment, it demands an answer, and it was no different for those who died in faith. Faith is a very personal friend and will not let us escape her clutches without understanding her demands within this friendship. To think I understood faith, I did, but only from a distance. Crunch time is what is needed for faith to shine in our lives. It will and it must come in one form or another. Here where a group of people that had been promised a physical land, the land of Canaan and yet they died on their way to that land. They could have been somewhat bereaved as it was not a simple man’s promise but God have vowed it and yet they never made it to Canaan and yet they arrived in heaven. For all who believe it is our ultimate goal but we so often lose sight of this truth. It didn’t matter in that sense to those who lived by faith that some “suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—“.As we look around do we see the same happening to us, not on your life! We are so caught up with tomorrow and it is very scary when we converse with our friend, Faith! She exposes our hearts!

Many if not most of us are interested in the promises of God as they have hope attached to them but we do not receive them, Why? “The present state of the saints on earth is that their happiness lies more in promise and deterioration than in actual enjoyment and possession.” It is more of a “now mentality”, it is all about the present and earthly rewards. This is not what these saints of old where commended for; this was there commendation; “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised”. They were praised for believing despite never making it to the Promised Land here on earth, in other words they never reach there earthly goal, but are now in heaven awaiting there glorified bodies. Even though their bodies began to fail and they must have known that their physical death was near, they never stopped believing. What fantastic examples!

You see faith is a very personal companion, when the chips are down, that is when we will be tested and this relationship will show it true colours.

God no doubt often would have smiled back at Abraham, not because he believed God was God, which he obviously did, but he believed God would be God in his life. There is a difference! Whatever God had promised him, he never doubted but believed. He was tested by God and we too will be tested. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac and he never flinched. As I look at this man in compassion to my life, there is no contest, how weak my understanding of faith, Forgive me Father God!

In order for our great God to smile back at us we must believe He is capable of overcoming trial and tribulation in our lives, it must become personal. As I look at my own life and I look around at the general understanding of those around, I am forced to conclude we are in trouble. We have but scratched the surface on the topic of faith.

Everything hinges on faith and yet we will not live there, may God help us! It is as if I have been in limbo but now felt a sharp crack to my jaw. There have been so many weaknesses in my character and in the way I conduct myself in certain areas of my life. I have to now confess and conclude, the reason they still live is because of my unbelief. I have always believed God is greater than these flaws but have not believed that He was capable of rooting them out of my life; I was not willing to make it personal. May God help my unbelief! Many of my past failure keep me from victory, but is my God not able to turn those failures around. Of course He can, not only that but I believe He will.

There has been a shift in my understanding, thank you Lord Jesus for opening my eyes. The trial of our faith must come; otherwise we will not know what is in our hearts.

The Lord Jesus will see all His saints home, may we learn to lay our lives down for Him as He laid His life down for us.

Signing off

Tyrone