Friday, October 30, 2009

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

I was recently reading Acts three where Peter heals the lame man outside the temple. (Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. -Acts 3:6-8) I've always wondered--if we just had a little faith, could we do things like this too? Could we heal the sick, and make the lame leap? I've seen people healed like that, although in lesser ways (though I do know people who have seen and done things such as these.) It's not about "super-powers." Obviously, if we are only trying to glorify ourselves we will not have God's blessing, and if it's not God's will that someone be healed, it won't happen.
What I'm trying to say is that with just a little faith in God, big things can happen. If we trust that God can do something when we ask him, he will answer us in some way or another. "Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." -Psalm 37:5
On the other hand, if we don't really believe it is inside God's power to do something, we fail to place our faith fully in God: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." -James 1:5-6 Why is trusting God so difficult? He offers freely to help any of us in need. If we trust in God's provision, he will come through. Whether in our daily life or in prayer: "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." -James 5:15
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus tells his disciples "if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." If we have even the smallest faith in God's ability, we can accomplish anything. With God's help we can move mountains, heal the sick, and change the world. All we need to do is believe that God can work through us. What we can do through faith in God may not be anything we would consider miraculous such as what Peter did that time at the temple, but even with mustard-seed-size faith you'd be amazed at what you can accomplish, or rather what God can accomplish through you. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

No comments:

Post a Comment