The Challenge… just a step
I wrote yesterday’s blog on Saturday, but I still had one more thought on thanksgiving which, for length sake, I did not include. I jotted down a paragraph and set it aside for the Tuesday blog. All of this was done on Saturday, before Don Longworth spoke on Sunday. Here’s what I wrote…
There is another power of ‘Thank you.’ It affirms our faith in the giver. Indeed, it may be that the desired object of one’s faith is never quite fully received until there is confidence to offer the thanks for it in advance.
If you heard our brother Don’s message on Sunday you will recognize this thought was also one of the points he made. “Praying through,” the holiness folk called it. Praying until the “burden” (the compulsion to pray about the matter) lifted and the petitioner, to paraphrase John, “knew that he had what he asked of Him.” (1 John 5:15). At that point there is no more need for praying; praise becomes the new order of the day.
The trick in adapting to this sort of faith is really no trick at all. It is simply a matter of obedience. We must be faithful to use what faith we have if we wish to have more. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much” said Jesus (Luke 16:10a).
As He called to Gideon our Lord calls to each believer “Go in the strength you have” (Judges 6:14). Take that first step… “one small step”… for God… see what “giant leap” God may make of it. Then take another… then another… then another… “from faith… to Faith… to FAITH…”
“In it [the gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (Rom. 1:17).
Don’s closing challenge to us was to obediently do the very next thing the Lord puts in your head to do. If it aligns with scripture you can trust the thought is from Him and have sufficient confidence to take a risk.. “a step”…of faith.
Did you accept this challenge? Did you hear from God? If you did, but don’t like it, there is no point in waiting for something more agreeable to come along. It will not. The thing in your head now is what you must do. When you do it, let me know. We’ll thank God together for what He will do.
More tomorrow…
To hear Don Longworth’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.
thebrokenrunner 