Pastor Sam's Weekly Devotionals
Fertile Lives
Verse for Meditation:
“We live by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7
For many people, the uncertainties of the future are what keep them up at night. The feeling of being out of control can be stifling, causing lethargy or one to retreat from daily life.
How are Christians to respond? What message can we offer to the world?
We can offer Jesus and His Kingdom as a light in the darkness, an enduring hope. Here is a fourth devotion that offers a way forward even in the most uncertain of times:
IN WORD – Most of us try to get through life on human wisdom. Some of us succeed. Others of us make so many mistakes that we die with innumerable regrets. If only we could get guidance from above, we would get this “life” stuff right. If only we could hear the voice of the One who knows. If only.
The truth is that we can. The Voice has spoken. His words are available to us. But there’s a catch. We have to be willing to obey it. Otherwise, we won’t have what Jesus calls “ears to hear.” Those who obey what they already know of God have their ears opened to more; and those who have their ears open are readily obedient. It’s a precious cycle, conceived in the mind of God: Obedience begets hearing, which begets obedience, which begets hearing, which . . . you get the picture.
The life of faith is a life of obedience, and a life of obedience is a life of faith. The root of the problem is that most of us have trouble, however minor it may be, with obedience. We lose our “ears to hear,” and as a result, we fall back on human wisdom. Our lives never match those of the biblical heroes. Why? Human wisdom would not have pushed Abraham up a hill to sacrifice his son; it would not have led God’s people to the edge of the Red Sea with an army in pursuit; it would not have marched around Jericho seven times and blasted a trumpet for the wall to fall; it would not have matched David with Goliath in the valley; and, most strikingly, human wisdom would not have vilified the Son of God on a cross in order to save a wretched race.
IN DEED – Really, when it comes down to it, would you prefer to live by the human logic that results from losing your ears to hear? Or would you prefer the cutting-edge, risky-but-real life of a true, radical believer? The answer isn’t clear for everyone. But we’ve seen who lasts. Your Bible is full of their stories. They lived by faith, not by sight. “You honor Jesus when you act in faith on His Word.” —Ed Cole (in “Walk with God” by Chris Tiegreen)
Do you need to restore your spiritual hearing? Use the book of Ecclesiastes this week to remind you of the futility of worldly ways and of God’s promises that enable us to move forward even in the most uncertain of times. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk by faith with a good and loving God. Have a blessed week! from Taipei, Pastor Sam