Do You Dare?

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Today's Passage> 2 Kings chapter 2
Memory Verse> Romans 12:3

We've all had the thoughts: big favor= big ministries. Every ministry with more than a thousand members is automatically labeled by believers and non-believers alike as "rich". The basis of their message to the rest of the Christian world is that faith did it all. It almost gives the impression as though they were hand- picked by God Himself to show that not everyone can obtain this gift of faith. After all, even in the everyday lives of people like you and I, some of us seem to thrive and survive the worst situations. But others seem to barely be able to make it from one day to the next.

What is this thing called faith, anyway? Is it really obtainable to every believer? How do you know you have it? If you don't, why not? I think something many believers overlook is that faith is personal and individual. The Word says in Hebrews that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things nor seen. How is it possible to develop faith for something if you don't even know what you're supposed to be hoping for? We spend so much time looking at the lives and callings of others, comparing ourselves to them and lusting after what they have that we miss our on the time we should be taking to pursue what God has for us.

Secondly, faith only develops as a result of growing in our ability to hear God speak to us through His Word. We can see through the lives of people like Elijah and Elisha that God really isn't a Respector of persons as some may tend to believe. Elisha eased into the position of armor bearer for Elijah, and almost didn't make it into the elite group of prophets. At the beginning, he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be a servant of the Most High God, or go back to his comfort zone. But eventually, as he watched God move through Elijah, he had enough faith built in him to reach for more. You know how the story ends, as he receives the famous "double portion" of the anointing on Elijah's life.

It all boils down to this: how well do you know the purpose God has for your life, and how bad do you want it to come to pass? Are you willing to push past the resistance with some of your own? Faith is something has to be worked. I guess you COULD say that God plays favorites when you look at it this way; He'd do anything for the ones who've figured out what God's sacrifice through His Son purchased for us. It's all about how deep we're willing to go, as our pastors ministered this past Sunday. Every believer is given his or her own measure of faith. Only those who dare to use it will receive more. Do YOU dare?

Prayer: Father, how awesome to be included in the number of Your faithful! And yet my faith does fail at times when it's hard to see what You're doing. I've come to the place where I just want You. Whatever it takes, as long as my life brings You glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.