Faith 預覽

Day 3 – Faith and the promises of God

Faith has a content: the promises of God

REFLECTIONS :

Read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and take a moment to answer the following questions:

➤ What are the promises that God gives us in this text from Deuteronomy?

➤ What are the conditions in order to experience them?

CONTENT:

These verses at the start of Deuteronomy 28 are quite simply extraordinary. They talk about the promises that God gave to His people after they had left Egypt, and this was even before Christ came to give His life for us all on the cross and to break the devil’s power. This means that we can apply them to our lives without any problem because they reflect God’s will for His children and for us who are His disciples. An important detail to highlight: if God doesn’t talk about healing in this passage, it is simply because all of the people were in perfect health. They were miraculously healed when they walked through the Red Sea (cf. Exodus 15:26). However, it is important to remember that to live out the reality of His promises in our daily lives, they are conditional to our obedience to God’s Word.

This last point reveals a crucial element regarding faith, that is, it is directly linked to obedience to God. Faith isn’t just simply believing, believing in the chance of circumstances, hoping that God will do such and such a thing. As we have already seen, faith is a relationship. While we talk with God about our needs and expectations, He talks to us about His possibilities and His will. Afterward, we can naturally agree with God and ask Him what He has promised us, knowing that He is faithful, and He always fulfills His promises.

If for example, you go into a shop to buy a specific model airplane, you will ask the vendor for what you want, and they will tell you what he has. However, if you are in a model shop and in the shop window you have seen the model that you are looking for, you will be certain that you will find what you are looking for… In the same way, when we approach God, we need to know who He is and what He promises. When we talk about the promises of God, I’m not talking about impressions that we can have or prophetic words that we have received, but the promises that we find in His Word, the Bible.

The Bible contains a great number of promises that concern all aspects of our daily lives such as for example, family, couples, finance, healing, joy, the future, peace, a long life, sleep, reconciliation, etc. All His promises are real and are there so that we can experience them. And so, the content of faith is founded on the promises that God has given in His Word. God is not a man that He will lie, and His Word never returns to Him without having successfully accomplished what it was sent out to do (cf. Isaiah 55:11). It’s why it’s important to take time to meditate on the Word of God regularly because it is how in our spirit, we will receive His promises like personal revelations from God. Because we are not looking for the promises that suit us, trying to convince ourselves that they are for us, we simply allow the Holy Spirit to liberate His revelation in us.

One of the examples that we find in Scripture and that we have already looked at is when Peter walks on water. In fact, the evangelist Reinhard Bonnke said one day that Peter didn’t walk on water, but on the Word of Christ. He obeyed Jesus’ order and walked on the promise of Jesus, who had told him, “Come” (cf. Matthew 14:29). It’s the same thing that we are called to experience, putting our faith into action. However, we need to be attentive because our human nature is uncertain and the assurance and solidness of faith don’t belong in the natural world, but the spiritual world. The order is given, Peter obeys. He gets out of the boat and enters the supernatural of faith. He walks sufficiently far enough to find himself in danger of dying. This leads him to cry out to Jesus when he starts to sink. He started to walk by looking at Jesus. When he stood on His promise Peter was strong and nothing seemed able to stop him. Even so, the circumstances hadn’t changed, and the storm was still violent; faith doesn’t imply that everything will become easy and without challenges. But when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and he allowed his faith to be affected by what his eyes could see, then he began to sink…

Faith is connected with Jesus and gets its strength from Him. To experience and walk in faith we need to keep our eyes constantly fixed on Jesus, that our heart and mouth are continually filled with His Word and that we proclaim His promises. Certain people comment on this passage underlining the unbelief of Peter, but let us not forget that he was the only one who actually got out of the boat, thus putting his faith into action, while the others stayed in their comfort zone… I am convinced that God’s project that day was for all of the disciples to walk on water. Ensure that you remain focussed on Jesus and are rooted in His promises, and you will experience amazing things! God has planned that you live your life of discipleship outside of your “boat”.

MY DECISION:

➤ What I have understood for my personal life:

➤ What I am deciding to do in my life based on what I have just learned:

➤ What you decide today determines who and what you will be tomorrow!

Adapted from "un disciple en marche" copyright 2018 by Luc Favre, published by Vie Victorieuse. All rights reserved.