Strengthen Your Faith (2)

Saturday, 24 February 2018

'Just take your positions and watch the Lord rescue you from your enemy.' 2 Chronicles 20:17 CEV

When you doubt God, you disappoint Him—because He deserves better. So, you must seek to strengthen your faith, because faith honours God and God honours faith. And He will send opportunities disguised as problems designed to strengthen your faith. When Job lost his health, his wealth, and his children, the Bible says he ‘fell to the ground and worshipped.’ (Job 1:20 NKJV) Job didn’t worship God because of his circumstances, but in spite of them.

Notice the two things he did:

(1) He looked up. He recognised God’s sovereign right to decide all things. He trusted God’s loving character and believed He would ultimately do what was best for him. And you must do that too!

(2) He listened for a word. He realised this testing time was also a teaching time, so he declared, ‘He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.’ (Job 23:10 NKJV) Like gold being processed by the refiner, Job trusted God to bring out the best in him.

Was it easy to do? No. We want to cling to the familiar and return to the safety of yesterday, even though we know it’s not what God wants for us. The fears, surprises, and adversity that lie around the bend make us want to cut and run. But if you do, you’ll short-circuit God’s plan for your life. What should you do instead? Take your stand in faith: ‘Just take your positions and watch the Lord rescue you from your enemy.’ Whatever you are going through right now, remember that God is ‘with you’.