Trial of faith

I feel like I am walking on the water towards Jesus, but finding myself sinking as I look at the winds as Peter did.

 

"“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”"

~Matthew 14:28-33

 

Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture heroically on Jesus Christ's statements when the facts of your common-sense life shout - "It's a lie?" On the mount it is easy to say - "Oh, yes, I believe God can do it"; but you have to come down into the demon-possessed valley and meet with facts that laugh ironically at the whole of your mount-of-transfiguration belief. Every time my programme of belief is clear to my own mind, I come across something that contradicts it. Let me say I believe God will supply all my need, and then let me run dry, with no outlook, and see whether I will go through the trial of faith, or whether I will sink back to something lower.

 

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict. What is your faith up against just now? The test will either prove that your faith is right, or it will kill it. "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me." The final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death. May God keep us in fighting trim! Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.

 

"And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

~Matthew 11:6

 

"Run dry", with no outlook, even though that might be me right now, I am comforted by these words of Oswald Chambers about faith. I am glad that now more often than not I can discern when I am "sinking" and am able to quickly "adjust" my thinking. Will I believe God? I do. For I walk by faith, not by sight. Holy Spirit, may that be true in my life, always.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

~2 Corinthians 5:7

 

Lord, make my faith unutterable as I trust in You. Lord, save me! Truly You are the Son of God.

 

Keep CZECHING IN!