Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- April 9, 2011
“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Luke 7:9
Great faith comes from believing in your great God. Awe accompanies the Almighty, for He is engaged in eternal matters. What matters to your Master should matter to you. Great faith in our heavenly Father is produced in a heart of humility, contentment, gratitude, and dependence. You see yourself as an ordinary person blessed by an extraordinary Savior. You have been rescued from the snares of sin and placed into the position of being a child of God. Your old life of self-focus contrasts with your new life of focus on others. You are free from fraternizing in trivial pursuits and are compelled to follow Christ’s commands. Great faith grows you more like Jesus.
Just as Jesus was under the authority of His heavenly Father (John 10:17), so you are under Christ’s authority. God’s Kingdom requires surrender and submission to His authority, not you asking God to bless your efforts after the fact. Prayerfully and humbly submit your plans to the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit has scrubbed your intentions clean, then you are free to move forward. When you remain under His authority you are able to hear His commands clearly. Great faith acts on what it hears from the Lord, for instant obedience is evidence of great faith.
Great faith is not afraid to obey Jesus. Obedience may seem overwhelming at the time, but when God says so, it is done. So you are wise to instantly obey what He says. Do not hesitate when you hear from heaven. He has His reasons for wanting obedience from you now. For one thing, He knows you might forget if you fail to obey now. He knows your fragile memory can forget Him. When you instantly obey, you don’t run the risk of forgetting your heavenly Father’s instructions. Instant obedience feeds great faith in God.
Moreover, our great faith grows others. Your children see your great faith and are challenged to do the same. It serves them well when you are not around. Your friends and acquaintances see your great faith and they have hope. Your unbelieving relatives see your great faith and come to believe there has to be a God behind such bold belief.
Above all else, your heavenly Father sees your great faith and sees someone He can trust. He can trust you with His blessing, His healing, His wisdom, and His resources. Great faith is trustworthy because it is grounded in God. It is not blind and irresponsible; rather it believes the unseen and stewards it well. Great faith is found among the ordinary. It is engagement in everyday life that invites great faith.
Your role as a regular Christian makes you a compelling candidate for great faith. Most importantly, great faith promotes God’s greatness.
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