The Just Shall Live by Faith

The Just Shall Live by Faith -

http://www.youdevotion.com/streams/march/10

 

But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him.-Heb 10:38 NET

 

Seemings and feelings are often substituted for faith. Pleasurable emotions and deep satisfying experiences are part of the Christian life, but they are not all of it. Trials, conflicts, battles and testings lie along the way, and are not to be counted as misfortunes, but rather as part of our necessary discipline.

 

In all these varying experiences we are to reckon on Christ as dwelling in the heart, regardless of our feelings if we are walking obediently before Him. Here is where many get into trouble; they try to walk by feeling rather than faith.

 

One of the saints tells us that it seemed as though God had withdrawn Himself from her. His mercy seemed clean gone. For six weeks her desolation lasted, and then the Heavenly Lover seemed to say:

 

"Catherine, thou hast looked for Me without in the world of sense, but all the while I have been within waiting for thee; meet Me in the inner chamber of thy spirit, for I am there."

 

Distinguish between the fact of God's presence, and the emotion of the fact. It is a happy thing when the soul seems desolate and deserted, if our faith can say, "I see Thee not. I feel Thee not, but Thou art certainly and graciously here, where I am as I am." Say it again and again: "Thou art here: though the bush does not seem to burn with fire, it does burn. I will take the shoes from off my feet, for the place on which I stand is holy ground." -London Christian

 

Believe God's word and power more than you believe your own feelings and experiences. Your Rock is Christ, and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flows, but your sea. -Samuel Rutherford

 

Keep your eye steadily fixed on the infinite grandeur of Christ's finished work and righteousness. Look to Jesus and believe, look to Jesus and live! Nay, more; as you look to him, hoist your sails and buffet manfully the sea of life. Do not remain in the haven of distrust, or sleeping on your shadows in inactive repose, or suffering your frames and feelings to pitch and toss on one another like vessels idly moored in a harbor. The religious life is not a brooding over emotions, grazing the keel of faith in the shallows, or dragging the anchor of hope through the oozy tide mud as if afraid of encountering the healthy breeze. Away! With your canvas spread to the gale, trusting in Him, who rules the raging of the waters. The safety of the tinted bird is to be on the wing. If its haunt be near the ground-if it fly low-it exposes itself to the fowler's net or snare. If we remain grovelling on the low ground of feeling and emotion, we shall find ourselves entangled in a thousand meshes of doubt and despondency, temptation and unbelief. "But surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of THAT WHICH HATH A WING" (marginal reading Prov. 1:17). Hope thou in God. -J. R. Macduff

 

When I cannot enjoy the faith of assurance, I live by the faith of adherence. Matthew Henry

 

Your Only Regret - by Greg Laurie -

www.harvest.org

 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. -Matthew 5:16

 

Some nonbelievers might look at Christians and think we waste our lives and our time. Look at all the things we give up. Look at all the parties we've missed when we're in Bible studies or worship services instead.

 

They'll say, "What's wrong with you? Why do you have to go to church so much? And what is it with you that have to listen to Christian radio and read Christian books? Aren't you getting enough of that already? And why do you go out and feed homeless people or give your money to people on the other side of the world affected by some natural disaster?"

 

Why would we do that? Because we're people whose lives have been changed by Jesus Christ. And we know the only hope for this world is the gospel of Christ. Believe and follow-that is the primary purpose of the church in the world. It is to let our lights shine and preach the gospel to every living creature.

 

It isn't about programs; it's about people. It's about the gospel and doing our part to get this message out to even more people. We are all called to do that as Christians.

 

You can't do everything, but you can do something-and so can I. I can't win everyone to the Lord, but I can win some. Someone wisely stated, "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do."

 

Do what you can, while you can. Do what you can for the glory of God. Because on that final day, your only regret will be that you didn't do more.