When faith is attacked…

 

Faith follows facts and emotions are the caboose. If emotions pull the train of my spiritual life, then God often feels so far away that He cannot possibly know or understand my needs and pays no attention to my pleas. I say ‘often’ because His presence and actions and answers to prayer can often be so spectacular that I wonder why I even doubted Him. Of course it is better to let facts pull the train of life.

This is why the illustration of the train says faith fuels the facts. It is not merely the presence of facts, or that I read and know what God says about Himself. This is about believing them, knowing that God exists, hears my cries and is who He says He is. What if faith falters? What do I do when my assurance is attacked? How do I keep faith focused and trusting rather than letting emotions or anything else distract me and start thinking, ‘Is this really true’?

The answer is always Jesus. While some say He never existed, even the most skeptic of historians have ceased to do that and no longer question that He was an historical person. A figment of someone’s imagination does not change lives for thousand of people over thousands of years. A book of fiction claiming to be the true Word of God does not last on the best seller list if the author and central character is a fraud.

Even those who do not agree or commit themselves to Jesus Christ acknowledge that His message and life have power. Someone recently told us of a podcaster who is not a Christian hosted a professing atheist on his podcast. Both agreed that all countries in the world were far better off when their population was mostly Christian. This speaks to the power of the gospel and the reality of the One that died and rose again. Facts pulling faith.

When my feelings waver and God seems to be fiction, I think about Jesus. He said things so contrary to how we humans think and did things that startled, challenged, and changed the religious ideas of even the most religious. His ability to control the weather, illness, even to change water into wine, makes Him unique. He is human yet He is God? There is no other explanation for Jesus.

My emotions cannot turn God into a puppet pulled by the strings of what I think and feel. He is not controlled by me — and if He was, then I would be God. That thought is so absurd, but I’m not laughing. I know who and what I would be like if that were true. The world would look like my desk does most of the time — total chaos. And if that isn’t enough, this generation has largely said NO to God and Jesus Christ and many are doing whatever humans want to do — and we have total chaos. It seems God is saying, “You want to live without facts pulling your train, then this is what happens.”

My emotions and the selfish desires of many are capable of making a mess of things, but that does not negate the existence and sovereignty of God. Only He has the audacity to claim this:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

All things? Even chaos? He is doing exactly that — using the chaos to draw millions to trust Him, right down to my own life being changed by the stuff that makes me feel helpless. Even the results of trusting myself show me how little I know about being my own god. This God and His facts are worthy to be at the front of my life.

PRAY: Jesus, trusting You and the truth about You is the best way to live, and keeping feelings in their place means that instead of fear, hatred, and other emotions influencing how I live, You give me a deep joy that continually rises to the surface and lovingly pushes faith to follow those facts along with an overwhelming joy that overcomes my selfish ideas and feelings and gives me a deep desire to live as Your facts tell me to live…

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

A Battle Plan?

READ Judges 6–10

Gideon’s story fascinates me yet seems like a far-away illustration of God using a weak man to do the impossible. I’ve not considered it as a way to live or a plan for anyone else. Yet today, God seems to be challenging me to follow this story and go to battle with something far more powerful than I could possibly defeat.

Without going into details about the ‘enemy’ that I face, here is an outline of what happened to Gideon, a member of the clan of Manasseh one of Joseph’s sons. He was living in a time when God’s people were not obeying Him and they struggled with the Midianites who robbed them of all fruits of their labor. I can relate to that.

Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:11–13)

Right away, Gideon questioned the Lord’s word that He was present, but the Lord replied, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” Gideon replied, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Gideon responded, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will stay till you return.” (Judges 6:14–18)

Gideon’s offering was accepted by fire and that filled him with fear, but the Lord assured him and gave him peace. Then He told him to remove the idols his father had, then burn a second offering using them for the fuel, which Gideon did — at night because he was afraid he would be seen. When the townsmen protested, Gideon’s father surprisingly said, “If he is a god (Baal), he can contend for himself.” Then . . .

The Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them. (Judges 6:34–35)

God called His people to support Gideon in what he was going to do, yet this man was still not certain. Two times he asked for signs that God really wanted him to take on this enemy and two times God affirmed him, then again when he overheard words of fear in the Midian camp. With that, God dismissed Gideon’s fear and this man worshipped.

Then God reduced the size of Gideon’s army lest the people took credit for what He was going to do. He led a battle plan so simple and so ridiculous that who would think it would work, but it did.

After the Midianites were defeated, Gideon was criticized and handled that well, but he allowed himself to be put on a pedestal when he should have refused to let God’s people bow to anything or anyone except the Lord God who gave them this incredible release from their bondage to demonic idols. The rest of this reading reminds me to rely on God to finish what He starts, not depending on anyone else, even those who come after me. His people once again turned away from Him to idols, showing how much we need, and I need, the saving, keeping power of Jesus Christ.

Lord, You give me an outline of action that fits a situation in my life, an enemy I face that has taken over the life of someone I love. I’m as weak and uncertain as Gideon and need affirmation. I also need an army of others who will stand with me in prayer to win this battle. Again, I am fearful. Show me this is not just a fanciful interpretation. If it is really from You, affirm it to me and give me total clarity on what You next want from me. Enable me to be faithful and stay that way. Thanking You in advance . . . Amen!