I Wish I Had Faith

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I Wish I Had Faith

“I wish I had faith.”      That’s what many have said.     They wonder  how a Christian can believe so strongly  in something they can’t  “see”.     They claim “seeing is believing”  and that they have not seen  God answer their prayers.

It becomes evident  that they assume  that God is like a genie,  who will grant one’s every earthly wish.     But,  as one reads God’s word,  we see  that God is nothing  like the mythological genie.     In the Bible  one will see  that God is the Creator  of all things — that man fell into sin  and God promised a Savior — that God gave many details  about the Savior  through many different prophets  over many years — that God caused every one  of those prophecies  to come true  in the one man,  Jesus Christ — that Jesus suffered,  died,  and was resurrected  to pay  for all our sins — and that God forgives  the sins of every one  who trusts  in His work  through Jesus Christ  to bring eternal salvation  to all who believe.     And last,  but not least,  we see  that God is the final Judge  of everyone — and can judge fairly  because He alone knows  our every thought,  action,  and intention.

God’s most important blessings  are spiritual.     He alone  can cause us  to see the truths  in His word.     He alone can cause us  to grow  in faith.    He alone  can give us strength  to face and overcome  all sorts of trials and temptations.    He alone  can lead us  to eternal salvation  through faith  in the blood of Jesus Christ.     God alone can give us  all the glories  of heaven  for all eternity.

So,  what are we looking for?     Do we want to believe  in a genie  that will give us  our every wish,  even though that earthly wish  will bring us great harm  or even keep us  from salvation?

Or,  do we want  to put our faith  in the Lord  who has faithfully loved us  and desires  to save us  for all eternity?     The God of the Bible seeks  our eternal good — not the fulfilling  of our every earthly whim.     So,  what God gives us  are the spiritual things  that open our eyes  to see the truths He presents  in His eternal word — the Bible.

God shows us  the grossness of our sins  so that we are enabled  to repent.     He shows us His love  in Jesus Christ  so that we are encouraged  to turn to Jesus  for forgiveness.     He shows us  that His word is eternal  by giving us historical evidence  of its truths  through archeological findings.     All the historical evidence proves  that God has kept all  of His promises  in Jesus,  so we can really be assured  of the forgiveness  of our sins.

This list could continue  at great length.     But,  the statement still remains — “I Wish I Had Faith.”      Then we need  to take to heart  Romans 10:17,

So faith comes  from hearing,  and hearing  by the word  of Christ.

We need  to listen  to God’s word  so that He may open our hearts  as He opened Lydia’s heart  in Acts 16:14,  through Paul’s preaching,

…and the Lord  opened her heart  to respond  to the things spoken  by Paul.

If Lydia had refused  to listen to God’s word,  she would have not come  to faith.     We also need to be like the people  in Berea,  who did more than listen.     They checked everything out  in the Scriptures,  as it says  in Acts 17:11,

…they received the word  with great eagerness,  examining the Scriptures daily,  to see  whether these things were so.

None of these people turned away  from the word  of God.     But,  even in their “turning to God”,  they still needed God  to open their hearts  to understand.    It is like  when Jesus’ disciples needed  to understand more  to really figure out  what God had done for them  in Jesus Christ.     When Jesus explained Scripture  to all His followers  just before He ascended into heaven,  it says  in Luke 24:45,

Then He opened their minds  to understand the Scriptures,  and He said  to them,  “Thus it is written,  that the Christ should suffer  and rise again  from the dead  the third day…

We come to understand  when God opens up our minds,  but we also need  to be willing  to listen  and we need  to pray  with David  in Psalm 51:10,

Create in me  a clean heart,  O God,   
And renew a steadfast spirit  within me.   
Do not cast me away  from Thy presence,   
And do not take Thy Holy Spirit  from me.

When we see the truths  of God’s word  and want Him  to bring us  to salvation,  He will.    It’s all God’s doing.     Then we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  to You belongs all the glory,  for You do all things  for me.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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