dailywalkinthelight

A Daily a Walk in the Light of God's Word

By Grace Through Faith

 

This week I was struck with this thought after reading a devotional by A.W. Tozer.  The idea was about loving and believing in Jesus though we had not seen Him.  This love and faith we have had to come from somewhere other than seeing Jesus in the flesh.  He quoted 1Peter 1:7-8.  I added a couple of verses to add to the context.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (NASB)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

This passage is so powerful.  As I read it, my chest swelled with joy.  The concern of trials in verse six fades into the background as you read through the rest of the verses. Peter reminds us of our faith, “more precious than gold,” and the “revelation of Jesus.” When you consider these things, our trials have no choice but to fade, even if the pain might linger.

Inexplicable Joy

I lost my Mother in June of this year. We were very close.  After several weeks in Hospice, she went home to be with the Lord.  In July, I lost my wife, Pat, to a sudden stroke that came so quickly.

Pat and I were married for over thirty years.  We were one together.  Our marriage was as God defined marriage.

Mark 10:7-9 (NASB)

7 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 8 AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

I cannot explain the sorrow of losing both; words fail me.  But it is interesting if you look back at these verses and realize the bond between husband and wife is something only God can do because the two do become one. Of course, the loss of a parent is tragic as well, but my Pat, who was genuinely joined to me by God in marriage, has been so difficult.  But Peter, in his first letter, was right.

As tragic as losing Mom and Pat has been and as heartbroken as I am, these trials do not compare to my joy in Jesus.  That joy is what keeps me putting one foot in front of the other every day.  For you see, “though I am distressed by various trials,” no matter what they might be, I have Jesus.

When I look at 1Peter 1: 8-9, I just replace the “you” with “I,” and it becomes pretty personal. “Though I (you) have not seen Him, I (you) love Him, and though I (you) do not see Him now, but believe in Him, I (you) greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of my (your) faith the salvation of my (your) souls.” 1Peter 1:8-9 (NASB).

What an amazing gift we have in Jesus.  What hope and Joy he brings, even in our darkest moments. Without him, where would we be?

Faith

As I ponder these thoughts, I am reminded of a couple of passages that strengthen me in my faith.  The first is in Ephesians chapter two

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

What a gift that is.  We are saved at God’s pleasure and gifts of grace and faith.  These things bring glory to God.  We that believe in his Son are His children.

Another favorite is in Hebrews.  I like how the writer in Hebrews describes faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) The Triumphs of Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

All of chapter eleven shows us great examples of faith.  These folks were pillars of the faith. But they were not supermen; they were just as ordinary as we are, but they trusted God without question, and the Lord stood by them all, and He will stand by us as well if we believe and place all our trust in Him.  I am reminded of the prayer of Jesus before His crucifixion.   It is in John.

The Lord’s Prayer

The prayer I am talking about here is not the one everyone thinks of when they hear someone say, “The Lord’s Prayer.” The Lord’s Prayer I am talking about is in chapter seventeen of John.  It is such a powerful prayer from Jesus to the Father. However, the part that always touches my heart is verses 20 and 21.

John 17:20-21 (NASB) 

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

What a powerful prayer between Father and Son and this section on behalf of US… Jesus asked that we might believe the words spoken by the Apostles.

Now we have this Holy Word of God, and in answer to a prayer, we believe.

Reflections

So, taking a moment to catch my breath… Peter, Paul, John, and the writer of Hebrews press on the importance of our faith and the gift that it is.  It is our lifeline.  It is our hope.  It is the thing that ties us to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It nourishes our Soul.  It keeps our lines of communication open with our God.  It is personal in that I cannot give it to anyone else to help them on their way.  But I can share it as a light in the darkness and a joy to encourage those around me.  It is not something to be hidden but something to be shared.

It is not always easy to share our faith.  The adversary puts up walls and does all he can to keep us silent, but he has no power that Jesus cannot overcome. So we must trust in the Lord to see us through it all.

Closing Thoughts. 

This thought or maybe view that I cannot get out of my head since I started this brief study—John 20:29 kind of kicks it off.

John 20:29 (NASB)

29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

This passage puts some perspective on the fact that we have not seen yet believed.  In this verse, Jesus even blesses us for our blind faith.  In John 17, he prayed for us. Ephesians Paul reminded us of this beautiful gift of salvation by grace through faith.  The writer of Hebrews reminded us of what faith is and should be to us.  The devotional that started this had something striking to say as well.

Tozer tosses this out there to ponder, and I have to say I kind of agree with him.

Tozer on the Son of God

God has seen fit to give us excellent and mysterious faculties, and I truly believe that God has ordained that we may actually know Jesus now, and love Him better never having seen Him, than Peter did when he saw Him!

Tozer, A. W.. Tozer on the Son of God (p. 354). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

That is quite a thought, but I think Tozer might be right the more I consider this.  But that is just me, and it is not earth-shattering if I am right or wrong in the grand scheme of things. It is simply a thought.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your grace and mercy. Lord, thank you for your wisdom and insight.  Father, I am so thankful that you provided us understanding that we might grow closer to you when we find ourselves during trials.  Praise be to you, Father.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Contend for the Faith

The Power Of God to Overcome the Darkness

This morning I came across an old devotional I had posted in October of 2015.  It is too much to explain how I came upon it or why I wanted to share it, but I did want to share it again with some small revisions.

I read Utmost for His Highest today and looked at the opening verse. It was Jude 20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,” and I had to dig a bit deeper into Jude.

The devotional was excellent. It speaks to holding on, in all circumstances, to God’s grace. However, what got my attention were the words of Jude.

Follow the Holy Spirit

I have always felt for him because he desired to speak words of encouragement, but God has called him to speak a word of warning to the chosen, and he was obedient. Instead of sharing what he desires he follows the will of God.

Jude warns us in his introduction of what we face.

Jude 1:3-4 (ESV)

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

What an ominous warning he shared. But it is true. There are so many that speak false doctrine and mislead people. Some are malicious and manipulate people with false doctrine. They ask that questions “Did God REALLY say this or that?” Others I think to rely on people to tell them the answer instead of seeking the truth for themselves, deceiving themselves.

Be Mindful

He reminds us of what to be mindful of, and one of my favorite verses in this warning is verse

Jude 1:9 (ESV)

9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

That verse reminds me that I do not battle with my strength.  My strength comes from God. It is not myself that I must rely on, but in God and I must place all my trust in Him.

There is this battle raging, and it seems so many are unarmed. The only hope is to know God thru His Word. To cling to Him, but so few have time. They don’t like to read, or they are too busy, but we need food and water for our bodies to thrive and even more, we need God’s Word for our spirit to thrive.

Encouragement

Jude does offer encouragement at the end of this letter.  In my Bible it is titled “A Call to Persevere” it begins in the 20th verse.

Jude 1:20-23 (ESV)

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

There are so many that strive to mislead. They twist the truth to make their point. Their only power is that which we give them. God warns us “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Eph 6:11 (ESV). That is so much more than relying on someone else to tell us what to think.  Nowhere in that passage does it say that.

I give thanks for God’s Word. Some days I struggle to study. I have such difficulty with keeping focus. But I thank God for helping me through those difficult times and the reward He shares with me when I study and pray… even if it is a verse or two, I am blessed. God is good.

Prayer

Father, help us hold fast to your Words in Jude.  Let us not get careless with our hearing when people try to share false doctrine or mislead us with half-truths.  Father, please help us always test everything we hear or read against your Holy Word, our only true source of truth. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen!

 

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