Saturday May 7, 2011

Read Hebrews 11

While on mission in Vanuatu I had the immense non pleasure of eating for dinner the chickens that we saw running around that day. They were nothing like the fat plump juicy chickens here in Australia. They were skinny, tough chickens with meat that was strong and chewy and that had obviously worked hard.  These Vanuatu chickens are a poor example of culinary quality but a great example of faith in action.

Faith has often been compared to muscle.  Muscle that is not used and exercised atrophies very quickly. It becomes soft and weak and pretty much useless. Faith that is not worked turns into fat - great for the dinner plate but not much else. But faith that is worked and exercised toughens up and grows. It really is like our muscles. When we exercise and put our muscles under strain they grow bigger and stronger. The more you put your faith to work, stepping out in faith, the more your trust in God and the more you will grow and the more you will step out in faith. It is a wonderful increasing, positive cycle to be in.  As you see God work in small circles, you will step out and see Him work in ever increasing circles. Your faith will grow because you will have seen God at work in various areas of your life. You will grow to want to see God at work in other areas of your life.

Are you exercising your faith? Are you stepping out in faith moment by moment. Are you venturing beyond the comfort zones and safety zones currently in your life? Are you looking for areas to serve and to strengthen your faith? Each and every Sonday you have ample opportunities to step out in faith. What will your faith look like tomorrow? How will your faith express itself? What acts of service and ministry will well up from your faith tomorrow?

What often happens in believers’ lives is that we choose not to step out in faith (for various reasons usually founded on fear or desire for self gratification). The time and the void left in our lives is then filled with something else - usually something sinful to remove the guilt of not stepping out in faith. That sin will grow and take over our lives as we continue to sit in faith-lessness. The solution is to seek God’s forgiveness and to start talking small steps of faith. The solution is to start walking forward in faith, refusing to sit and be idle or self indulgent.  Why not make a list of things you can be doing by faith on Sondays with your Christian brethren. Why not prayerfully ask God what He wants you to be faithfully involved in at your local church? Why not ask God to forgive you for not stepping out in faith and start taking small steps?

Prayer:-

V Pray that God would grow the faith of each and every believer gathered in your congregation. Pray that the whole day will be a faith filled day where God works powerfully among you all. Pray that the word of God would be powerful and active among your congregation, with each person sitting under its authority.

V Pray that the gospel will be clearly preached tomorrow throughout this land.