By XXXXX
Why believe? And just as equally important is the question why not believe? We have nothing to lose
and everything to gain when we choose to believe in Jesus Christ, the
resurrected Son of God. I use the word “choose” because believing or not
believing comes down to choice.
Jesus told His followers that If they had faith the size of
a mustard seed, they could tell a mountain to “move from here to there” and it
would move. “Nothing will be impossible for you,” said the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 17:20 NIV)
Just think about this for a moment. The mustard seed is the
smallest of all seeds — not much bigger than the head of a pin — yet one seed produces
a tree and branches so big that birds come to rest in its shade.
If that isn’t an awesome thought, I don’t know what is.
Faith can move mountains. Think about that.
But what is faith? you ask. Faith is our assurance in God’s
Word. Faith is built on a rock. And the rock is none other than Jesus.
We first meet Abraham in the Book of Genesis when he is
called by God to leave his father’s home and settle in Canaan, which He promised
to Abraham and those who come after him. Abraham is the patriarch of the
covenant between God and His people, a covenant that can bring either blessings
or curses. In one way or another, Abraham is linked to Christianity, Judaism
and Islam. We can look to Abraham as our earthly father generations removed,
just as we look to God as our spiritual father.
When he was alive, Abraham passed test after test after
test, even to the point that he was asked by God to sacrifice his own son,
Isaac. When Abraham was 90, God commanded him, “I want you to go a thousand
miles.” Consider that at age 90, Abraham may have been half blind, hard of
hearing and in pain due to arthritis or some other disorder.
Abraham didn’t know if the heritage was his or someone
else’s. But, as he did many times before, he answered God’s call. In essence,
he said, “Yes, Lord. I will do as you say.” That, my friends, is faith. It’s
answering God’s call, paying no attention to those who tell you what you are
about to do is impossible. Remember — everything is possible with God. Abraham
had no idea where he was going, but he became a stranger in a foreign land just
the same because he knew that God is able to do above and beyond what we can
ever imagine. God can always, without question, go higher than our limited
minds can conjure.
There was a time when God called me to a become a stranger
in a foreign land. And not only me but my wife and three children, too. When we
lived in Jordan for 18 months, we wondered where a taxi would take us, what we
should order from a menu and how we would fit in with the population.
TALK MORE ABOUT THIS
(I PERSONALLY AM INTRIGUED THAT YOU LIVED IN JORDAN AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
IT. I THINK READERS WOULD, TOO, BECAUSE THE MIDDLE EAST IS SUCH A MYSTERIOUS,
EXOTIC PLACE.)
As we settled into our new home as strangers in a foreign
land, I saw that God was on the move. I embraced faith even more, and I urge
you to do the same.
Circumstances can change quickly, and they often do, but God
is good all the time. Think about that — God is good all the time. By His very nature, He cannot be anything BUT
good. By His very nature, He is pure.
Have you ever lived in a tent? I have. When I’ve hiked in
the mountains — as I did in the summer of 2016 in the Sierra Nevadas — I lived
out of a tent. It wasn’t always easy. There was weather to contend with,
insects and possible marauders. But I had faith that God had called me to the
mountains, and I trusted Him. TALK MORE
ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE MOUNTAINS. AGAIN, I’M INTRIGUED WITH THIS AND
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE.
In the midst of tent
living, we need to have extreme faith.
Honor His Word! If God is good, He is incapable of leading
us in the wrong direction. He is incapable of a lie. God doesn’t always answer
quickly, but sometimes He does. Persevere. Know that His glory will break
through. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
We all need to break away from our doubts and jump up and
shout, “Anything is possible!”
Faith is not built on a magic mountain. But He rewards those
who earnestly and sincerely ask Him. Seek Him like never before! Jesus Himself
said, “Knock and the door will be opened. Seek and you shall find!”
And you will if you allow yourself to get lost in His
presence. Bask in His goodness. I promise you this — if you increase your
faith, you will not be disappointed. You will be rewarded. Say yes to God.
“Yes, I want to increase my faith.”
And when your faith is doubled, tripled, quadrupled and more
your light will shine, and your power will filter out to the world.
Faith, my friends, is built on one sure foundation just like
that old hymn tells us. Jesus Christ is our sure foundation.
Faith is hope whether we see it or not!
