Where Is My Faith?
Good Morning Friends,
Everyone believes in something…we all rely on something to secure and satisfy us. But honestly it should not be in power, in friends, or in money but in service to the Lord that we are to discover our faith. The legacy that God promised to leave us is of a humble and poor people who trust in the Lord. If you think this is about wealth then you are mistaken. It is about being humble because in humility we must face our sin… poor because here our reality is connected in comparison to the riches of God… trusting in the God because we have come to believe God and only God has a good heart. Today we look at poverty and our beliefs and brokenness and ask: Where Is My Faith?
Scripture: And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 (NRSV)
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all. He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34:17-22 (NRSV)
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-12 (NRSV)
Message: Only the Great Physician knows why, if it does not seem broke, it still needs fixing. Only the maker of our hearts knows the deepest pain we will ever experience. And it is here we discover the blessing in the brokenness of the Christian life. It is here in our poverty we find healing and comfort. The words broken and blessed do not seem like they should go together but they do. In my experience I find it doubtful that God will bless a person greatly until that person has been hurt deeply. The weak and the broken always give the most glory to God. A quick look at the Beatitudes will reveal at least a part of that mystery. Friends, it is difficult to explain why we have to experience a void that cannot seem to be filled…a sorrow that cannot seem to be comforted…a brokenness that seems irresolvable….but we do. And when we experience this very situation we also might discover in it the key to our spiritual growth…the key to our very salvation….the key to our service. This is why the poor are so important to the church. They stand at the door of faith because they have nowhere else to go. And quite frankly we should stand with them. Here as we journey through the valley we realize that it is where most people live. It is here we can best follow the example of Jesus. Here in our crushed spirit, we see God at work in each other. It is here, in our broken spirit, we see the sacrifices of God. Here our hearts become repentant. Here we join with the One who created our hearts for only He can mend them when they break….only He can break them in a way so that they might be used.
Pray that God change what we desire. Pray He brings us to the position where we will want to do what He desires. Pray our minds and emotions are renewed. Pray that God’s strength and healing be made perfect in our weakness and brokenness. Pray we allow Jesus to break our hearts with grace rather than judgment. Pray we find the blessing in the broken heart. Pray our hearts are healed in this life and the next. Pray as we prepare for Christmas we have a humble heart, a poor heart, a heart that trusts in the Lord to make us whole.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 