God... calleth those
things which be not as though they were (Romans 4:17).
What does that mean? Why
Abraham did this thing: he dared to believe God. It seemed an impossibility at
his age that Abraham should become the father of a child; it looked incredible;
and yet God called him a "father of many nations" before there was a
sign of a child; and so Abraham called himself "father" because God
called him so. That is faith; it is to believe and assert what
God says. "Faith steps on seeming void, and finds the rock beneath."
Only say you have what God
says you have, and He will make good to you all you believe. Only it
must be real faith, all there is in you must go over in that act of faith to
God.
--Crumbs
--Crumbs
Be willing to live by
believing and neither think nor desire to live in any other way. Be willing to
see every outward light extinguished, to see the eclipse of every star in the
blue heavens, leaving nothing but darkness and perils around, if God will only
leave in thy soul the inner radiance, the pure bright lamp which faith
has kindled.
--Thomas C. Upham
--Thomas C. Upham
The moment has come when
you must get off the perch of distrust, out of the nest of seeming safety, and
onto the wings of faith; just such a time as comes to the bird when it must
begin to try the air. It may seem as though you must drop to the earth; so it
may seem to the fledgling. It, too, may feel very like falling; but it does not
fall -- it's pinions give it support, or, if they fail, the parent birds sweeps
under and bears it upon its wings.
Even so will God bear you.
Only trust Him; "thou shalt be holden up." "Well, but," you
say, "am I to cast myself upon nothing?" That is what the bird seems
to have to do; but we know the air is there, and the air is not so
unsubstantial as it seems. And you know the promises of God are there, and they
are not unsubstantial at all. "But it seems an unlikely thing to come
about that my poor weak soul should be girded with such strength." Has God
said it shall? "That my tempted, yielding nature shall be victor in the
strife." Has God said it shall? "That my timorous, trembling heart
shall find peace?" Has God said it shall?
For, if He has, you surely
do not mean to give Him the lie! Hath he spoken, and shall He not do it? If you
have gotten a word -- "a sure word" of promise -- take it implicitly,
trust it absolutely. And this sure word you have; nay, you have more -- you
have Him who speaks the word confidently.
"Yea, I say unto
you," trust Him.
--J. B. Figgis, M. A.
--J. B. Figgis, M. A.
For some time now, it has become the
practice of believers to search for empirical and pragmatic evidence that what
God has promised will take place. Believers have become driven by circumstance
and blocked in by uncertainty. God has made precious and powerful promises to
the believer and His impeccable character and integrity ensures that His word
will never fail (Isa.
55:11).
When God promised Abram that He would
be the father of many nations, He changed his name to Abraham (Father of a
Multitude). Names had power in those times. Every time someone called Abraham
by name, he was reminded of the promise. Every time Abraham introduced himself,
he was reminded of the promise. God has given you a name as well. He has named
you conqueror (Romans
8:37), royal priest, a chosen generation, a peculiar (uniquely special and
gifted for purpose) people, and a Holy nation (1
Peter 2:9), beloved (Daniel
10:11; Songs
of Sol. 2:16), sons & daughters (2
Corinthians 10:18), friend, (John:
15:15), masterpiece (Ephesians
2:10), and Treasure (Deuteronomy
7:6).
The Bible says that Abraham did not “stagger”
(waver in unbelief) at the promises of God, but grew stronger in faith, giving
glory to God. One of the greatest ways you glorify God is by properly engaging
your struggles. When people are looking at you and asserting that you should be
moaning and crying, but you a smiling and praising, you glorify God. When
people think that all of the pressure that you are under should have caused you
to lose your mind, but you remain at peace, you glorify God. When everything
says give up there is no hope, but you stand anyway, you glorify God.
God has given a testimony of your
faithfulness to the enemy (Job
1:1-12) and now He wants to know: Can He trust you with TROUBLE? You see,
He knows that you will give Him praise when the new car is in the garage. He
knows that you will smile when the marriage is rolling along smoothly He
knows you will speak highly of His name, but what will happen when the vicissitudes
of life roll into your paradise? What will you do when delay seems perpetual?
How will you respond to the incessant attacks of the enemy? This is what will
determine the magnitude at which you glorify our God.
One the greatest testimonies about
Abraham, if not the greatest, was His faith. He believed God for the impossible
and God accounted (credited him with Divine righteousness) is as righteousness
(Gen.
15:6). Understand this; some of your greatest and most powerful testimonies
will not be where you stood victoriously on the mountaintop. No, it will be the
recollection of how you endured delay, withstood the pernicious attacks of the
enemy, coped with abandonment and loneliness, and persevered through heartache
and disappointment.
Dr. Rick Wallace |
It is when you understand that God is
your Shield and exceedingly great Reward (Gen.
15:1) that you will realize that there is no struggle or obstacle that God
will not bring you through. As they say, “If He brought you to it; He will
bring you through it.”
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