Matt. 6:19-34 As I was praying about what the Lord would have me share today, the word “faith” kept appearing on my radar. That word is at the very core of Who God is. Faith, however, is not always at the forefront of our lives and minds. I have found myself needing a booster shot of faith! How about you? As I share from this passage it will be from a heart seeking a faith that rests solely on my Savior, my God, my King.
What does faith really look like? Good question, but all too often the answer we seek is found in the wrong places. What might those wrong places be? They can be in people, Facebook, famous authors, the internet, a friend, family member, or the media. Not that God couldn’t use them in our lives, but are they the first place we go? God’s Word tells us the secret to having faith is in seeking God and the wisdom of His Word. Why not open your Bible and let God speak to your heart? Matt. 6:19-34 talks to us about faith and what our faith is to be based on. In verse 25 Jesus says, “Do not be anxious about life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, or what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” The birds and the lilies don’t worry and fret because they are in total dependence on God. Total dependence on God! WOW! Instead of dependence on God, we often choose dependence on the government, our family, our friends, and even our church. So our dependence ultimately becomes independence. Walking by sight not faith. Have you found yourself full of anxiety, fretfulness, worry, burdened, overly concerned, wondering about your faith? Well, I have, and this passage from God’s Word is jumping off the pages into my heart. These verses tell me that all of those things – anxiety, fretfulness, worry, being burdened, overly concerned, and wondering about how much faith I have – pulls us apart and pulls us down. Jesus Himself says in verse 27 that being anxious cannot add a single hour to our life spans. Wow! God says He will feed the birds and clothe the lilies. He will do the same for us. Could it be our “little faith” keeps God from working as He could in our own lives, our families, and our communities? Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. God’s Word gives us faith! Faith that says: “God is in control and that all things will work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). The more we exercise our faith, the greater it will grow. What are we hearing? What are we listening to? As one gets older, our hearing changes. We don’t hear clearly or even hear at all, or maybe we hear something totally different. We can continue to frustrate others and ourselves, or we can get help and obtain hearing aids. Let’s take the hearing aids of trust in God’s Word in order that we might hear and strengthen our faith. Faith is an action. We have to exercise it. It won’t work unless we choose to do it. The saying, “A body in motion stays in motion,” is also true of our faith. So how exactly do we do this? Matt. 6:33 tells us, “Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” What exactly is God adding to our lives? Faith. Trust. Grace. Mercy. Love. Peace and Joy. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” “Lord, I just don’t understand what in the world You’re doing in my life. “My child, don’t try to understand. Just live it for Me.” (by Ruth Harms Calkin)
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AuthorKathy Niswender is the wife of our pastor. Archives
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