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              “Because I will publish the name of the Lord:
                 ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” Deut 32:3

MEDITATION ON THE NATURE OF FAITH

Without question, the most scathing and devastating phrase ever to be pronounced upon man from the lips of Jesus would be, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” These fateful words, reserved for those who profess falsely, having only a form of godliness, will never be heard by a true believer. We will never be commanded to depart from our Lord; indeed, he promises that where He is, there we will be also. But, when Jesus walked the earth, he uttered an equally sobering phrase to his beloved disciples, not once but several times. It was spoken in various places, to different believers, throughout His ministry. Unfortunately it still echoes across the ages and penetrates the heart of any true disciple. We have all heard it uttered by the still small voice, and it always hurts and shames us to hear the words, “O ye of little faith.”

Those words have recently pierced my heart and caused me to examine the nature of my faith. To my shame, when I scrutinized my faith, looking at it objectively and examining it from every angle, what I found was surprising and disturbing. To me, my faith looked like a helpless, baby bird.

My faith was indeed alive, but barely. It had seemingly just emerged from the safety of the darkness, being suddenly thrust into the cold, hard light of reality. The trial that brought it forth was severe and exhausting and now it lay naked, helpless, and trembling. It had no ability to sustain itself and could easily be blown about by adversity. But what surprised me most was its size. It was so small.

Faith is one of the component parts of the fruit of the Spirit. My faith was alive because of my belief and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save me from the penalty of sin. But, if Jesus condemns the littleness of our faith, how can our faith become great? What can I do to grow my faith? Amazingly, the answer comes from that analogy of the little bird.

The only way a baby bird can survive is to rely on the faithfulness of its mother for sustenance, shelter, and protection. Of itself, it can do nothing. Is that the true nature of faith? Must I do nothing and depend on another? What does God’s Word tell me?

As has happened so often before, the answer I was seeking about the nature of faith blazed off a page of Scripture and penetrated my searching heart. Sarah is one of the great examples of faith portrayed in Hebrews 11 and it was here that I read these words: Through faith also Sarah herself received strength . . . . . . because she judged him faithful who had promised.” The true nature of faith does not depend on what we do. The true nature of faith depends on what we expect Him to do.

                                      THOSE WHO HAVE GREAT FAITH REST ON HIS FAITHFULNESS.