Believe

It is refreshing to hear what David says in one of His Psalms for he reminds me not to lean on my own understanding or strength:

“You are my King oh God! Through you we will push down our enemies, through Your name we will trample on those who rise up against us. For I shall not trust in my bow. Nor shall my sword save me.”

It's so simple! Just believe! In Christ. In what Christ has done. He told us it is finished. He has overcome the evil one. As I just read, ‘That which is overcome has no more power.’ Do we believe that Jesus Christ overcame our sins and the evil one by shedding his blood on our behalf? Unbelief denies the power and truth of God. Christ never denied. God cannot deny Himself. That's how He created! He spoke creation into existence, because HE never doubted Himself. That's why He calls Himself I Am. That's why if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could speak and send a mountain into the sea. The name of Jesus! All we are called to do is believe. Belief works! How do we believe? By acknowledging that what Christ did on the cross paid for our sins and overcame the evil one. By not going with the deception and denying that God is and can do anything! Unbelief is of the world! We must recognize Who God is and what He has done. Our own ways are unbelief because our ways deny God! Apathy denies God, therefore in that we deny Him. Selfish ambition and lust denies Him, therefore when we move in that we deny Him. His will is perfect. His will is that we believe in Him. Belief moves mountains! There is no such thing as faith without works because faith in itself is that which works. That's why we cannot question the Lord. He is unquestionable. That is why we cannot lean on our own understanding. He is the peace that passes our understanding. We just believe as we move one foot or 5,000 miles. We look to Him, knowing that Christ has filled all things! That the enemy is defeated! That Christ is the end of the law! We look to the things unseen for the things seen were created by that which was unseen!

Isn't that incredible! I am only beginning to truly believe.

Oh, consider this! Abraham took Isaac and was ready to sacrifice him cause the Lord told Him to. Nowhere does it say that Abraham had any worry concern or sadness about sacrificing Isaac. Now why would he worry if He had faith in God and God could easily raise Isaac from the dead? That's how we are to move! There is no fear or worry in trusting God. God keeps His promises. He can't do anything else, but keep His word - WORD - He has spoken through Christ. Christ is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith. 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words alone will remain'. In Him we live and move. . . Remember the song 'The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are saved'. The name of the Lord!

The Lord has nothing to do with our own understanding। That's why we could study the bible all day long and know nothing! Love your neighbour. Move out in the power of Jesus name, with His authority and shatter the obstacles! Sometimes shattering those obstacles might cause pain. Especially if that obstacle was apathy. Shatter the walls of religion at that place! Shatter the mountains of intellect and leaning on their own understanding. Make the path straight and lead others to the eternal water. We don't point the finger or condemn. We say 'Here let me show you a better way, let me remove that hindrance, that ignorance which causes fear and blindness, so that you might see and know the power of the love of the Risen Lord! We have all authority in His name to do that. We rely on Him alone!

Dan was sharing with me the part in ‘The Call’ about praising our Father in the midst of adversity, for that is what gives Him such joy. I read it this morning and I nearly wept. That is faith in the greatest sense of the meaning. That's where we truly please the Lord. It's definitely not the easiest, but that would be the refining fire now, would it not!? We recognize that we have nowhere else to go and we praise Him for we recognize it as such and therefore run to him. Oh, how I long to be so burnt as gold, that in it's purest form it is as clear as glass and stronger than anything. And, as a result of that longing I am confronted with my petty ways, my selfishness and all He asks us to do is to look to Him, not ourselves. We have nothing to justify! It's been finished for us. We move forward. And it is not without wounds of all sorts. The pain can be phenomenal. But just to stand on the truth in the midst of adversity, as Daniel did. Knowing that there is nothing that can come against us in Jesus Christ! There is no safer place to be.