To walk by faith is not the same thing as merely being entertained by Jesus. Christian author Paul Tripp put it this way, “There is a radical difference between amazement and faith. Faith is a commitment of your heart to a reality that changes the way you live.”
What will it take for us to go from amazement to faith? It can be so easy for our fickle hearts to forget the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives. We quickly forget what Jesus did just last week or even yesterday.
If the current (or future) state of our world seems bleak, do we expect God to prove Himself through another miracle so that we’ll believe and walk by faith? Or, can we look to what Jesus has already done in our lives (and in the lives of others) and rest in His power and provision? Will we choose to rest in His Lordship and sovereignty?
One of the great themes of the Old Testament is the Israelites forgetting what God had done for them. Moses warned the people over and over to remember God’s work in their midst. Just read Deuteronomy 4:9 or all of Chapter 8 and you’ll get the idea.
Moses basically told them, “Don’t forget what God has done! Tell your kids about it. Talk about it all the time, so you don’t forget. Put up reminders everywhere. Remember what He has done and worship Him for it.” That’s what all the prescribed festivals and ceremonies were about — to help them remember the goodness of God.
Do I daily seek Jesus to be reminded of who He is and what He has done?
If we don’t walk by faith — remembering God’s work in our lives — how easily we can make a false god in our hearts. We can forget His character, His goodness, His holiness and His righteousness. We fail to submit to His sovereignty in this world. We fail to be rooted in His Word and sound doctrine. We fall into the trap of morality and good works, or religious motions. We can seek Jesus just to get something out of Him.
However, if we are in the habit of routinely reading our Bible and meditating on it, reminding ourselves of the miracles and grace of Jesus, we’ll see Him in the difficulties in our lives. Even in the hardships, we’ll be looking for the grace of God.
To walk by faith, we must fight to remember what Jesus has done for us. We must believe He is still good, no matter what life brings. He has already proven His love, mercy and care for us. We need only to look to our past to know that God will remain faithful today and in the future.
Trying to remember,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor