Friday, January 20, 2012
A Supernatural Peace
You don't have to be a financial genius to see that right now the world's economy is under assault. With people talking about recession, depression and inflation everywhere you turn, it's easy to get the picture -- and it's not very pretty. In fact, it's downright dark. But, thank God, if you're a believer that picture doesn't include you. The Bible assures you of it.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 "You aren't in the dark...For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. Night is the time when people sleep...But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the [body] armor of faith and love"...
Isn't it wonderful to know that even in the midst of an embattled economy, we can live in peace? We can strap on our faith/love body armor and prosper -- no matter what's happening around us? We can be like the soldiers we see on television who wear their protective gear and stay safe right in the middle of a combat zone.
It may sound like a dramatic analogy but it's absolutely true. According to Ephesians 6, faith works as part of our spiritual armor. It's a shield we can use to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked".
Faith has the divine power to defeat whatever comes against us--including financial tests and trials. It can stop every assault of the devil. It is the victory that overcomes the world!
To operate properly, of course, faith and love must go together. Faith works by love, so if we don't walk in love, our faith won't function. On the other hand, if develop our love and drop our shield of faith we won't enjoy the full benefit of God's promises.
I'm discovering that if I'll believe what the God's Word says, regardless of what I see with my eyes or hear with my ears, I can have anything the Bible promises. I'm learning that faith is what I must use in order to know God and to be prosperous. It is faith that will remove the mountains in my life.
How many times have I pored over Mark 11:22-25? Yes, many times. But I need it over and over because every day I get up I'm in the good fight of faith. More often than not, the biggest challenges I face is in the area of finances. It seems I'm always having to believe God for something that takes all my money. If the money doesn't come as soon as I want it to, I have found in the past, that I get spiritually tired. I start letting my faith actions slip.
It's not what we know that helps us get what we need, when we need it; it's what we apply and follow through on the simple (not easy, simple) things the Bible instructs us to do in order to receive. So when my doing of those things slows down, I make sure I return to the Word, even if I've read it a million times. Obviously, I'm going to need it a million more to get that Word injection that will strengthen my faith.
Fresh Lessons From The Fig Tree
These days most every believer I know could benefit from that kind of Word injection. With all the bad economic news that's been floying around, we all need a little recharging. So I'm going to take a look with you at Mark 11 AGAIN and let the lessons Jesus taught at the fig tree refresh our faith.
Jesus and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. "And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, to see if perhaps He would find some figs to eat on it. When he got to it though, He found nothing but leaves. It wasn't time for figs yet. And Jesus answered the fig tree, "No man will eat fruit from you after this forever. And His disciples heard Him. (Mark 11:13-14)
I imagine the disciples must have stared hard at both Jesus and that fig tree. What was going on? And what did His Words mean? What was going to happen to the fig tree? But you know what? For all appearances nothing happened. Jesus' Words seemed to have no effect at all; nothing changed. There stood Jesus empty-handed and there stood the tree - all decked out in leaves as fig trees do once they have produced fruit -- but, no fruit.
That encourages me because all of us who try to live by faith know what that's like! We've all had the experience of declaring God's Word over a situation --- and it looks like nothing changes. There are no immediate results. Why does that happen? Because faith is designed to go to the heart of a matter. Faith will deal with problems at their core.
That's why it wasn't until the next morning when Jesus and His disciples passed by the tree again that "they saw the fig tree dried
0 Comments