Here's the struggle I think many Christians face. We don't in any way doubt God's ability to do the impossible, but we doubt that He will do the impossible. For example, I have no problem believing that God can conquer our ginormous financial mountain - providing for the adoption and beyond. Of course He can. Not exactly a big task for the One who created everything out of nothing, conquered death, and can forgive sins. But will He? We know that God can move mountains. We know that God can not only heal a physical defect, but also raise a person back to life. We know that...well, that He can do whatever He darn well pleases. But I think most Christians don't pray with much confidence about such things, not because they don't think He can do it, but because they don't think He will do it.
Am I crazy here? Anybody nodding their head at this point?
I definitely feel like the disciples when they tried to heal a boy, but couldn't. Jesus' response was "O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." They bring the boy, Jesus heals him, and the disciples ask, "Why couldn't we heal him?" Jesus said, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Seems like I have very little faith then. How about you? I mean, they at least tried to heal the boy. That shows some faith, doesn't it? So, here's the question. Did they lack faith that God could do it, or that He would do it?
I've written a TON more, but I wanted to stop here and get some feedback. What do you think? Please take the time to reply and get some good dialogue going here!
I'll post the rest of the blog later...
Posts
July 9, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I think there's a huge difference between believing in God and believing that God is here, that He is just as relevant to the world and to our lives right here and now as the day that he created us out of dust. There have been times in my life where I fully believed that God was able to do even some less than remarkable things but doubted that He cared enough to. It really doesn't take any faith at all to believe in God's ability to do something because our eyes see the work of His hands every day. But it does take some serious faith to believe that God is going to give you what you need each day, especially when the odds seem insurmountable.
July 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Well put...I think that's pretty dead on. We usually believe that God can do things but, rarely believe that He will. I also think that sometimes we don't pray how we should cuz we don't want to have to endure the battle to recieve our victory. We say we want freedom. We say we want victory and we say we believe God for it but we are unwilling to fight for it in prayer at times. How do we ever expect to get victory without a war? What would the victory mean if it was just a walk in the park? How much glory would God recieve if it was easy? The bigger the fire we walk through the more Glory He gets...isn't that our purpose anyway???...to give Him glory!
July 9, 2009 at 12:31 PM
I find myself here a lot. I trust God. Oh I believe He can doing anything he wants. He can show us miracles. He can heal and forgive and die and raise again. He can provide for all of my needs and yet time and time again I find myself worried or fearing that he won't! So, it's not really trusting him then at all. That's why I've always loved that passage that says "Lord I believe. Help me in my unbelief." It really expresses this I think-this desire to believe, this belief we actually have, but then our human sinful nature getting in the way and causing us to question that same professed belief.
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