FAITH -or- DOUBT? JUDGES 7:9-11: It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp...” OBSERVATION: How does The Lord deal with us when we doubt? Does He simply rebuke us? Does He withdraw His Grace from our lives? This may be the way we treat ourselves and others, but it is not the way the Father treats His children. Jesus had no patience with the religious, but He always had Grace and Compassion for those who were both honest and humble with their struggles and with their doubts. Gideon was an unlikely hero. He was hiding from the Midianites while he threshed his wheat. He tore down the altars of Baal during the night because he feared the men of the city. When called to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian he asked The Lord for a confirming sign, not once, but twice. And now, after all these confirmations, including an encounter with the Angel of The Lord, The Lord Himself offers Gideon one more sign to bolster his faith. In this account we see two things. The Lord called Gideon a mighty man of valor. Gideon saw himself as a incapable and weak man. What The Lord sees is not what is present, but what He has called and ordained for our lives. He calls forth that which is not, as if it was. The Lord, in His great Grace, continued to call Gideon forth to what he really was - a mighty man of valor. The Lord knew Gideons fears and weaknesses at every turn. He did not rebuke Gideon, but He met him at the point of his faith, and helped Gideon to grow. Jesus did the same thing with Thomas. Yet in both instances, The Lord did not simply carry or cover their doubts, but He met that at their point of faith, and called them to what they could become. To doubt is human. We all face doubts in our lives. God gives us His Word and His Spirit to strengthen, guide, and help us overcome our doubts. He meets us at the point of our weakness and calls us to who we really are. He is more patient and loving with us, than we are with ourselves. What a blessed comfort this is! When we come to The Lord and cry out - Lord I believe, help my unbelief! - He does not rebuke us, He empowers us to grow in our faith. To doubt is human, yet to overcome doubt is the call and the promise of the child of God! Lord, today - I believe, help my unbelief! Call me to a deeper walk of faith through Your Word, Your Spirit, Your empowering Grace! Thank you for your love and patience. Help me, like Gideon, to rise up and fulfill the call and potential you have spoken over my life. To remain in doubt will lead to a life of double-mindedness. It will hinder my prayer life and my victory. But to face my doubts, call upon the name of The Lord, and receive His Promises and Provision - will lead to ever increasing victory, and an ever deepening faith. Today, I choose to walk in faith! In Jesus Name!
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:14:50 +0000
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