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From
the April, 2001 edition of The Doulos monthly
newsletter
by
Dave Phelps
Reflections
on Faith
During a recent time of reflection my
mind began to wander, as it is prone to do, and soon I was thinking about what
an important role faith plays in our everyday existence. What if, for instance,
we had no faith in law enforcement to keep our cities and neighborhoods safe
for us and our children to live in? Out of fear and anxiety we could become
reluctant, especially as we grow in years, to even leave our homes. Without a
modicum of faith, who among us would board an airplane, take a cruise, make an
investment, or even trust our weight to a chair? You see my point - without
some faith, our lives could be in paralysis. The trust we put in all the
examples I've just mentioned are based on life experience or track records, yet
we know they fail us from time to time.
Then I thought how life-changing faith in God is. The ultimate gift of God is
our redeemer Jesus Christ; yet without the gift of faith, what would that
redemption mean to me? Would it have value? No, faith in the redemptive work of
Jesus Christ is the access we have to God's saving grace (Romans
5:2) and it is His grace that saves us through faith (Ephesians
2:8,9). This saving faith and God's promise of eternal life relieve us from
the anxiety and fear of the future. One thing that makes this faith so amazing
is that unlike our trust in banks and airplanes, it is based on something we
have never seen and are barely able to fathom. It is a gift from God, and it
never fails! ("So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2
Corinthians 4:18)
I contemplated just how precious God's marvelous gift of faith is, and the
impact it has on my daily relationship with my heavenly Father. This gift of
faith is the gift I want to grow and expand in my life, in my walk, and in my
relationship with God. I thought of the faith of David when he faced Goliath,
and the faith of the Israelites as they stepped into the parted waters of the
Red Sea. Thoughts of these Biblical examples led me to an examination of my own
faith - not whether I had it, but how much and how big? Would I stick my toe in
a parted sea? As I meditate and study the passages in Scripture about the faith
Abraham exhibited in his life, I am challenged to live out mine in a fashion
that rivals Abraham's. My goal is that, by allowing Him to really be Lord in my
life and yielding to the Holy Spirit's leading, I may prove with my actual life
that I have a faith rooted in a level of trust that allows me to step out to
speak His word and do His work so that others may see Him.
I am grateful for the faith that allows me to leave my home; but I praise and
thank the Lord for the faith that will lead me Home!
In
Him,
Dave
Phelps
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