Peachy – er

Last time, I wrote, “My faith is marked by my reliance on and trust in Him without regard to circumstance or outcome. … That faith, the one I think pleases God, walks with Him in the midst of the fiery furnace, praises His salvation in starvation, sings hymns to the Most High God while chained in the bottom of a prison … drinks the cup empty that will not pass otherwise … without regard to circumstance or outcome.  That faith remains fully trusting of, fully loyal to, fully assured in, and fully reliant on the Most High God, no matter what might come, has come or remains here yet.”

 

Ok … but that’s the EASY part…

…

say what?

…

When you’re drowning, grabbing the lifeline is easy.

Remaining “fully trusting of, fully loyal to, fully assured in, and fully reliant on the Most High God” is a little more challenging when things are level; nothing on fire, not in jail, things are normal.  When things are normal (whatever “normal” is in our lives) we’re easily distracted, our minds wander and as our thoughts go so goes our reliance.   When things are normal we don’t seem to “need” Him, do we?  But when the bottom falls out we desperately seek to restore the bond.   As my sister Cristal said in a comment on the previous post;

“I think “faith” is both scenarios – praising Him in sunshine and in thunderstorms. It just doesn’t move. I believe real faith doesn’t roller coaster with the ups and downs of life. It’s a steady trek through life with an eye on the Prize.”

That is the “fidelity” part of a faith that pleases Him; relying on Him in plenty just as we rely on Him in need.  Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians 4:11-12

            “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”  (Philippians 4:11-12) ^*1

He had learned to rely on God, not only in need but also in abundance.  It was not something that came to him naturally; it was something he had to learn.  I can’t speak for others, but for me learning requires practice … lots and lots of practice.  When things are “normal”, I must practice relying on Him.  As I go about my day doing those things I do every day, I must practice trusting him.  Even in the drudgery of just going through the motions, I must practice my loyalty to Him.  That means understanding that He is not only the God of my salvation, but He is also the God of my next breath; not only did he command all creation to exist by His Word, but He commands my next heartbeat; not only does He desire for me to be where He is in His coming Kingdom but He has taken up residence within me here and now.  His Holy Spirit lives in me, in the middle of my drudgery, in the middle of my “normal”.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) ^*1

By the power of His strength I can learn to rely on Him, to need Him even in my normal.  I can learn to praise Him in sunshine and in storm by His strength.  By His strength I can steadily trek through life with my eyes on His prize … on Him.

till next time…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*1 “ALL Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Anything is a blessing which makes us pray.” — Charles Spurgeon

 

Peachy ?

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’” (Daniel 3:16-18) ^*1

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 ^*1

Last time, I wrote,
“My faith is marked by my reliance on and trust in Him without regard to circumstance or outcome.”

OK … … what does that mean?

Yeah, I dunno either.

Here is where most I’ve read wander off trying to explain it using analogies about trusting bridges to get you safely across a river, or trusting an airplane to get you safely to your destination, or trusting a parachute to get you safely to the ground.  The only problem there is I watch the news; I’ve seen the cars in the river, I’ve seen the rescue teams at the crash sites; I’ve seen the results of a failed chute.  No doubt the survivors of such have a little less ‘faith’ in those things and have maybe more than a little trepidation about venturing there again.

We’ve done the same to many believers; sold them on just how peachy everything will be when they put their ‘faith’ in Jesus.  Then when the rains come, when the floods rise, when the job is lost, or the fires burn, or that child goes astray, or the spouse moves on, or the doctor uses ‘that’ word, or any of a thousand arrows that pierce the heart find their mark .. they lose their ‘faith’.

I don’t believe that ‘faith’ is the faith of scripture, I don’t think it was the faith of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and I don’t think it was the faith of Habakkuk.  That faith, the one I think pleases God, is the faith that flourishes when it’s your plane burning in the woods, the faith that strengthens when your child is in the river under the collapsed bridge, a faith that thrives under adversity.  That faith, the one I think pleases God, walks with Him in the midst of the fiery furnace, praises His salvation in starvation, sings hymns to the Most High God while chained in the bottom of a prison … drinks the cup empty that will not pass otherwise …

… without regard to circumstance or outcome.

That faith remains fully trusting of, fully loyal to, fully assured in, and fully reliant on the Most High God, no matter what might come, has come or remains here yet.

Is that the faith I have?  Do I have that faith?

I don’t know … I’m not sure I want to know, to be where I might find out.

I am quite aware that I am not a Paul, or a David, or an Elijah, I’m not even a decent Bubba … if I fail to measure up to the yardstick of man, how short am I from the measurement that counts??

So now what? 

Still digging, but I’m not sure I’ll tackle this one anymore, I much prefer the heart-warming stories, you know, the ones where everything is just peachy.  But I need wheels on this one, or handles, or …

I’ll be back …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*1 “ALL Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Anything is a blessing which makes us pray.”  — Charles Spurgeon

_

Faith

          Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible….(Hebrews 11:1-3)  ^*1

          But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.(Hebrews 11:6)

hmmm… what is this “faith?
It is not wishful thinking or hoping; “I hope this all works out!”
It is not just believing; “… even the demons believe — and tremble” (James 2:19)
Ok, I think I know what it isn’t.
So what IS this faith without which it is impossible to please Him?

Being the nerd that I am, I chanced an internet search … waste of time that; too many people like me flailing around in the dark (somewhere I read that blind leading blind wind up in a ditch).  Very little of any substance surfaced in the cacophony of voices desiring to be heard …

… very much like mine here.

So, I looked it up in a dictionary, several actually; that too was less than satisfactory, I saw words like;

allegiance to duty or a person;  loyalty ,fidelity to one’s promises;  sincerity of intentions;  belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion;   firm belief in something for which there is no ;  complete trust, ;  something that is believed especially with strong conviction; a system of religious beliefs

Then I looked up the Greek (NT) translation of the word in a lexicon, not much better;

FAITH  ^*2
Transliteration: pistis  Phonetic Pronunciation:pis’-tis
Definition:   from (peitho); persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstract constancy in such profession; by extensive the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself :- assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

And I looked up the Hebrew (OT) translation of the word in a lexicon, still not much better;

FAITH  ^*2
Transliteration: ʾāman                        Phonetic Pronunciation:aw-man’
Definition:    a primitive root; properly to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figurative to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; moral to be true or certain; once (Isa. 30:21; by interchange for <H541> (‘aman)) to go to the right hand :- hence assurance, believe, bring up, establish, + fail, be faithful (of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty, verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the right.

With a little insight (VERY little) into the meaning of the word, I figure the best place to find an answer about scripture is scripture. … duh … Seems obvious now, but I’m getting old and slow.  I read somewhere that;  “… faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

It is a gift of God? … of course;
“for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44)

So by His word it comes, at His will, but what does that mean for me?  In what manner does my faith manifest, make itself known, to me? … to others??

Romans 4:3  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

“Abraham believed God …”

Wait a minute, look back at the definitions … trust, allegiance, assurance, loyalty, fidelity, reliance.  RELIANCE!!  The demons believe but they do not rely on Him, trust in Him. They have no loyalty to Him, no allegiance, no fidelity.  My faith is marked by my reliance on and trust in Him without regard to circumstance or outcome.

            “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’” (Daniel 3:16-18)

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18

I’m beginning to get a slight glimmer, as in a mirror darkly, (men like trees walking?).

I’ll be back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*1        “ALL Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

*2        “Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon” works in Public Domain

_