O Me of Little Faith - Part 2

If "O Me of Little Faith - Part 1" was about "the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4)," in "Part 2," I hope to show you how genuine faith looks when it is lived out in the lives of God's people. The key Scripture will be the following:

"For we walk by faith, not by sight"  

(2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV)

 What is FAITH? The dictionary defines it as an "absolute trust." However, the key to our faith is who or what is the object of that trust. Where we miss the mark is that often we place our "faith" in people, technology, political or religious leaders, government, doctors, medicine, athletes, religion, philosophy, and our own wisdom and abilities. I find it enlightening that the verse that is at the exact center of the Bible is Psalm 118:8,

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man." (ESV)

Hebrews Chapter 11 is often referred to as a list of the Heroes of the Faith. We see the names of great men and women throughout history whose faith was extraordinary. However, every person on that list was a flawed individual. Their faith was not always so evident. Their motivations were not always pure. Their lives were far from perfect. Yet the Lord included them as examples for us.

Why? Because they were no different than you and I. When we look at the names on that list (Moses, Joseph, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, etc.), our faith should be strengthened. For you see, Moses was not THE MOSES to begin with. 

He was literally a basket case who was only yards away from being killed as a baby. He was a murderer. He was a fugitive from justice. He spent 40 years in the middle of nowhere caring for sheep. No doubt he had more than his share of Dark Nights in Midian. Yet, God used this man to lead His people out from Egyptian bondage to the edge of the Promised Land. I am quite certain Moses never once in all those "Dark Nights" over 40 years ever considered such an opportunity would be in his future. But God did!

Joseph was not THE JOSEPH when he started out. His brothers turned on him, threw him into a pit, sold him into slavery in Egypt where he spent much of his time in jail for something he did not do. In the "Dark Nights" in that jail, I wonder if he could have imagined that one night he would still be in his cell and before the end of the next day he would be the second highest ranking person in all of Egypt. He may not have thought it possible, but God did!

So, what kind of faith do you have? Absolute trust in God no matter what? Complete surrender to His will for your life, no matter what? Do you "see" God all around you? Do you feel His presence as you go through your day?

If you are like me, the answer is "No, not really." To be honest, my own faith is missing something. I want to totally trust God, but in these "Dark Nights," I am just struggling to make it until the morning. Oh, I believe in God, but my faith falters sometimes when I am tested. 

What am I doing wrong? Well, I have learned from the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, that referring to it as "wrong" is WRONG! You see, like Moses and Joseph, I have no clue how God is going to use these circumstances. I only know that He will. That is my faith! Will it grow? Yes! Will it mature? Yes? Will it be easy? Never is! Is that a reason to give up? No! Is there a better alternative? Absolutely not! Just try putting your faith and life in the hands of this world and see just where that leads you. Millions have done so and regretted it. The ball is in your court. Your serve!

So, what does all of this mean? FAITH is not subjective. It is not conjured up from nothing. It is real! It is true! Hebrews 11:1 puts it this way;

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (ESV) 

Faith in man (or Lucy) will bring pain!

So, what does genuine faith look like? Well, it's not perfect because we are not perfect. It is not unshakable because all of us have discovered that we can be shaken very easily. Genuine faith in Christ is not evident just because we say that we possess it. More importantly, when we find ourselves discouraged in the "Dark Nights," our faith does not disappear because we say that it has or feel that it has.

Faith is the most important aspect of our Christian walk. Without faith, we cannot be saved. Without faith, we cannot please God. Without faith, we cannot trust God. Without faith, we cannot pray to God. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, 

without faith it is impossible to please him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (ESV)

The Lord so wants to strengthen our faith, that He places men and women in our lives to show us how to live by faith. Current day Heroes of the Faith. Look around! You can't miss them. 

Dr. Bob Ward passed away on April 9th of this year. You want to know what genuine faith looks like? Bob was it. His faith in Christ impacted every single area of his life. Genuine faith does that! In Bob's life, it affected every conversation he had, every decision he made, every interaction he encountered, every difficulty he faced. His life was his faith. His faith was not just a handy thing to carry around until he needed it. It was literally the thing that carried him everywhere he went. Whether pastoring a church, counseling and mentoring pastors, leading missionary efforts in Romania, encouraging Christians all over the world, raising a family, being a godly husband, and sharing the Gospel in both word and by example, Bob's life testified to the genuineness of his faith. 

The morning of his death, his wife, Yvonne, posted the following; 

Robert Martin Ward, Jr.

October 3, 1941 - April 9, 2014

This morning his faith became sight

While Bob lived in his earthly body, he boldly walked by faith in Jesus Christ. Once he was no longer in his earthly tent, he stood in the presence of Jesus. He no longer needed the assurance of his faith. The evidence stood right in front of him - Jesus! 

Bob Ward

Our faith is often tested. During such times, the genuineness of our faith either shows itself strong and points others to the object of our faith -- Jesus, or it does not. 

My friend, Jerry Wilmore, has, for many years, been a great source of encouragement to me, his church family, and to everyone he meets. He has a wonderful singing voice. When he sings, you don't hear Jerry, you hear Jesus. Less than a month ago, Jerry was diagnosed with throat cancer. With his permission, I have included some of his texts and emails during this time. What does genuine faith look like? Read on!

"God is in control, Jesus is our Savior, Jehovah Rapha is our healer. Please continue to lift prayers for healing as we enter Chapter 2 of this journey. And that God will be glorified through all of this. Not because of who I am. Not because of what I've done. But because of who He is!

I regret that I may be sidelined for a short time as my throat heals, but God's not through with me yet! My future is not a mystery to Him because He is already there. Every praise is to our God!" (May 8, 2014)

"Tony, you'll like this. We had chemo training class today. The instructor is baptist and sings in her church choir. She plays piano so we may strike up a tune during treatments. We had a nice chat about the Hope in Jesus! Then I met with the physician who is (today) working on my radiation treatment plan. He's a baptist too. We had a long talk about how God will use my testimony to bring glory to Himself and accomplish much in the name of Jesus. Then we held hands and he prayed for us. And I wish you could hear him pray! It is very evident he is a man who spends quality time in prayer to God. Well, as you can guess - that got me pumped up. Imagine the comfort knowing that God is in control, then finding out the man responsible for planning my treatment is one of God's servants! Hallelujah!" (May 28, 2014).

"I finished my first chemo at noon today in record time! No problems. Praise God!!! Just got my radiation (Tomotherapy) schedule. Starts Monday at 4 pm. Will then be every "weekday" at 4 except for chemo days....A total of 35 radiation treatments.... God definitely has a plan for me and this is part of it!!!!! To God be ALL the Glory!! (May 29, 2014)

Dr. Bill Bright was the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. For over 50 years, the organization he headed took the Gospel all over the world and reached millions of people. His faith in Christ was evident to all who knew him. Then came the news from the lung specialist that he had pulmonary fibrosis.   

"So I was reasonably prepared when the physician told me I would die a terrible death with an incurable disease. He said it would be worse than a heart attack or cancer, "You will choke to death." Aloud in his office, I replied, "Thank You, Lord." The specialist was taken aback. Even though he was a longtime friend, he rebuked me because he did not believe I was really listening to his comments. "You don't understand," he said, restating the horrors of dying by suffocation because of pulmonary fibrosis. I said, "I believe the Bible, and it says Christians are to give thanks in all things and to rejoice whatever the news." The doctor remained disapproving of my response, perhaps thinking I was in denial. No, I was in declaration of the truth of God's Word and will for my life"

"I do intend with all my heart to face the winter season of my life on earth in this way: full of faith in our great Creator-God and Savior, full of joy in the truth of His promises, full of peace about my future that the Prince of Peace holds in His hands." (from "The Journey Home" by Bill and Vonette Bright).

In the two years between his diagnosis and his death, on oxygen and bedridden 24 hours a day, Bill Bright worked or consulted on more than 80 different projects. It was one of the most productive periods of his entire life. He didn't know how God would use his circumstances. He only knew that He would. Great God! Great faith! Great testimony! Great example! 

Only our faith can sustain us when everything around us crumbles. It's all we have! It's all we need! Because our faith is rooted in the things of God, our minds and hearts are focused on our heavenly home. When we get off track and think this world is our home, we are overwhelmed and overcome in our despair. 

If this world is all there is, then death, pain, and disease are something to be feared. If our citizenship is in heaven, then the short time we spend on earth is but a vapor compared to the eternity we have to look forward to in heaven. Do you see, then, how the object of our faith determines our reaction to the "Dark Nights" we face. Where is your faith focused? If you find that you are walking by sight, close your eyes and walk by faith.