Up front – Some may think that devotions should be short. A few sentences. I write what the Lord lays on my heart. Sometimes, like today, it can be lengthy – tomorrow it will be even longer. No apologies, just know that is not likely to change.
Have doubts? Join the club friend. I was
talking with someone the other day. The
matter was concerning what seemed to be the imminent death of a loved one. He said, “I sure hope that when I die, I find
out this (our hope in heaven) is really true.”
(Have you ever had that thought?) That statement set me back for a
second. I never thought of him as having
any doubts about his faith, but there it was.
The stress of the death or grave illness of someone you care about seems
to have the effect of removing inhibitions from people. Those situations reveal things that they
typically keep hidden, and you wonder “Where did that come from?” or “I had no
idea they felt that way!” But to the
point …
We are on a journey of faith – like in
Pilgrim’s Progress. We are jars of clay,
formed from dust. There is something
called the Law of Thermodynamics, actually there are 4 laws, like Newton’s 3
Laws of Motion, except different. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. In
other words, in a closed system, the total amount of energy that can be taken
out of the system will be equal to the total amount of energy that was put into
the system.” That might be why people think that they can be reincarnated. If you leave this form, you will “pop-up” in
another form. Zero sum. Whatever is taken away is put back in. (Hang with me, I am almost finished with the
physics lesson!!!) My point is that these “laws” are nothing more than man’s
observation of God’s creation. The truth
is that God can do what He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it. He operates on an eternal clock and we
operate on seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Hey, we do
the best we can.
Here is the problem. If we try to figure God out on our own, we
are doomed to failure. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” You, with your mortal natural mind, cannot
figure God out. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them
because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” You see, in order to not
have doubts, you must see the world as God does, and you can only do that by
the power of God’s Spirit in you.
We are given an account of a young boy being
healed by Jesus. The boy was apparently
beyond human help. (Mark 9:21-25) “So He (Jesus) asked his father, ‘How long
has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And often he has
thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You
(Jesus) can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him,
‘f you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately
the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help
my unbelief!’”
All of us face impossible situations.
Situations that challenge the promises of God and our faith. Hebrews 11:1 says that Faith is about things
hoped for and not seen. If you want to
strengthen your faith you can do two things.
First, be reminded of when God showed up in impossible circumstances and
second, keep your heart and mind fixed on Jesus. If you don’t do that you will suffer
spiritual atrophy and when that happens you will be plagued by doubt. (Proverbs
3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord in all your ways and not your own mental capacity.”
In one of the Indiana Jones movies, Indy was confronted by a huge man with a
huge sword. Then Indy remembered that he
was carrying a gun, so he shot the man with the sword. Well, in a way, Indy is me and you. Faced with impossible circumstances, we must
remember that we are “packing”. We have
the Holy Spirit in us .. the Creator God is on our side .. and He is faithful
to His promises. You can believe that!
Does that describe you? I want to encourage you to let your light
Shine Bright my friend and give God the place and glory He is due.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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