Readings for today: Genesis 28-29, Matthew 9:18-38, Psalm 11, Proverbs 3:11-12
This morning I had the opportunity to preach at a sister church. A church who is in a significant time of transition. They are about to embark on a search for a new senior pastor which will usher in a new season of ministry. It’s been four years since they had strong, consistent pastoral leadership. Their beloved pastor was called to a different church. They went through one search but that particular pastor only stayed two years and had a very rocky tenure. Many people left. The church began to struggle. Fear and anxiety settled in. But in the last eighteen months, they have begun to recover. They have strong, godly leaders who have stepped forward. Their staff is exceptional. Their elders seek the mind of Christ. I left deeply impressed by their heart for Jesus and for their community. I know they are in great hands.
One of the things we talked about today was how to walk by faith. Faith tends to be a nebulous term in our culture. Even when you talk to Christians, it seems very hard to define. Some see faith as an intellectual assent to a set of ideas. Others see faith as blind and uncritical. Still others view faith as an emotion we feel. Tingles running down our spine. Warm feelings filling our heart. That kind of thing. Jesus defines it much differently. In Matthew 9, Jesus performs a series of miraculous healings. A young woman is raised from the dead. Another woman is healed from a chronic menstrual disorder. Two blind men receive back their sight and a mute man is given the ability to speak. In the middle of all this action, Jesus poses this question to the blind men when they ask for mercy, “Do you believe I am able to do this?” They do. Jesus stretches out his hand to heal.
There are more than a few definitions of faith in the Bible but this is one of my favorite. Faith is being fully convinced God is able to do what He has promised. Faith is not blind. Faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is not intellectual assent. It is walking. Acting. Moving in full confidence that God is able to do what He says He will do. Jesus asks the blind men if they believe He is able. The blind men believe and they are healed. They place their trust in Christ no matter the outcome. Is Jesus able? Yes, He is. Will Jesus always heal? Not necessarily. Does that mean we somehow lack faith? Absolutely not! Faith is not trusting in a particular outcome but trusting in the One who can do all things according to His perfect will.
We talked about the faith of Abram this morning at the church where I preached. Abram is the perfect example of faith not because he was perfect or always got things right. He clearly did not! But Abram believed God. Abram was fully convinced God was able to do what He had promised. He trusted God to lead him to the Promised Land. Trusted God to give him a son. Trusted God to bless him, make his name great, and make his descendants a great nation. All of which God accomplished and more. Abram saw all this before it happened. He believed it before it came to pass. He trusted it enough to turn his entire life upside down.
What about you? Do you believe God? Do you believe He is able to do what He has promised? Do you believe God for your marriage? For your children? For your job? For your future? For your finances? Do you trust God enough to let Him run your life? Are you willing to submit to Him and take a Sabbath? One day out of every seven to rest? Are you willing to submit to Him and give generously and sacrificially and regularly to the Lord...no strings attached? Are you willing to submit to Him and let go of the sinful pleasures you secretly delight in on a daily basis? This is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to faith, friends. Do you believe?
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 30-31:16, Matthew 10:1-23, Psalms 12, Proverbs 3:13-15