Faith | Living in God's Shadow

Where Have You Placed Your Faith?

November 9, 2020October 28, 2020 by Tim

Everyone has faith in something. Believing in something we cannot understand or explain is part of being human. Those who live in God’s shadow have faith in God even though we have never seen Him. Atheists place their faith in their belief that God does not exist even though it is impossible to prove that belief. Some people put their faith in the idea that there are absolutely no absolutes and place their faith in that belief. Wherever we are in life, we find that we believe in something. It is this step of believing that is the starting point for our actions.

When we believe to the point we act, we express our faith to those around us. If you are someone who has placed their faith in the idea there are no absolutes, you will not make any absolute statements. Those who live in God’s shadow will allow their faith to cause them to move even closer to God. No matter our beliefs, we all place our faith somewhere each day.

We seldom recognize that we are exercising faith. Yet we demonstrate our beliefs in many areas each day. We believe that the clothes we are wearing will not dissolve in the rain. We express certainty that the bridges we cross will not collapse. We believe that our understanding of every situation is complete and justifies our opinion of the matter. These are all areas where we exercise faith each day.

Inexplicably, we struggle to have faith in God. We are not alone. Even the disciples had trouble expressing belief while they were in daily contact with Jesus. The disciples had seen Jesus perform many miracles, yet at times they failed to exercise faith. Luke 8:22-25 tells of when the disciples and Jesus were in a severe storm on a lake, and their boat was filling with water. Jesus was sleeping during the storm. The disciples woke Him to help them out. Possibly they expected Him to help bail the water out of the boat. Instead, Jesus commanded the wind and seas to be calm. Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25 NRSV) I noticed that He did not ask if they had faith. He wanted to know where their faith was.

Like the disciples, we often fail to understand the power we draw on when we exercise faith in God. We may ask for grace and wisdom to deal with a difficult co-worker and then hold out a teaspoon to contain what we expect to receive. We doubt the Almighty because we lack faith. I wonder what God thinks as He holds back His ocean of mercy and wisdom to fill our faithless teaspoon-sized request? How much more abundant would God’s response be if we exercised enough faith to ask Him to supply everything we need to deal with the person?

A lack of faith is often to blame for a failure to obey. Exodus 16 tells us about when God sent bread, called manna, to the hungry Israelites. He specifically instructed them to only gather enough for one day except that they were to collect quantities sufficient for two days on the sixth day of each week. Scripture tells us that if they gathered more than what they needed on days one through five that the manna would stink and be full of maggots. It was different on day six. On that day, they were to gather two days worth because the seventh day was a day of rest; therefore, they needed to have food stored for that day. Those who did not gather two days worth of manna on the sixth day of each week went hungry on the seventh day. They had to have faith that God would provide a fresh supply each morning and keep their stored supplies from rotting on the seventh day.

I try to follow the day of rest that is proscribed in this passage and in the Ten Commandments. It is difficult to stop and rest sometimes. There are so many things that need doing, so much to be planned and scheduled. Yet I find that when I exercise faith in God and obey His command to rest both physically and mentally, I am reinvigorated physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The Apostle James writes about the interconnectedness of faith and action. He wrote, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17 NRSV) He then presents further arguments showing that it is impossible to have faith if actions are not attached. The Apostle James uses the example of Abraham obeying God because of Abraham’s faith in God, even when he was unsure of the final cost of obedience. (You can read all of the Apostle James’ arguments about faith producing action in James 2:14-26.)

When I was a child, I found out that my friends did not always know what they claimed to know. They did not always have the permission they claimed to have. This behavior caused me to hold back and let others go first. If they did it and avoided injury and reprimand, then I might join in what they were doing. The fact that they had not been truthful on every occasion prevented me from having faith in everything they said. Fortunately for us, God will not lie to us. It is contrary to His nature. We do not have to worry about being misled by God when we exercise faith in Him. We can allow our belief in Him to cause us to take action.

Living in God’s shadow requires faith. This faith produces the action of causing us to move closer to God continually. It is not surprising that the Psalmist wrote, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 NIV) May you allow God to grow your faith as you pursue a life in His shadow.

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Faith – Living in Expectation

September 2, 2020 by Tim

I was very nervous as I drove across the Mackinac Bridge. I was driving the most massive moving truck I could rent, loaded with all my family’s possessions. It was only my third time on this five-mile-long bridge, which links Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. All kinds of worries popped into my mind. What if the maintenance done on the bridge was not adequate? What if high winds suddenly arise? Crossing the bridge required that I exercise faith in the work of people I did not know and likely would never meet.

I seldom think about the fact that I exercise faith multiple times every day. When I get up in the morning, I exercise faith that the floor will hold me when I step on it. When I need to drive my truck, I believe that it will start, despite its 324,000 miles. We believe that each breath will come as needed and will not be poisonous gas. Faith is common in everyday life, but it seems that there is a disconnect when we try to relate faith to our spiritual lives. Suddenly believing becomes much more challenging. Perhaps it is because we have difficulty trusting things we cannot see.

Faith is a critical commodity for those who want to live in God’s shadow. It is only logical that we must believe that God exists before we can follow Him or ask Him for blessings. (See Hebrews 11:6) I do not ask Santa Claus for gifts because I do not believe that he exists. (The after Christmas bills assured me that Santa Claus did not freely give the gifts.)

Usually, exercising one’s faith is viewed as positive. I have noticed that anytime someone anticipates a poor outcome from their actions or beliefs, it is called doubt.

Faith always expects a great outcome. The anticipation of failure is not a part of faith. This confidence comes not from the fact we believe; instead, it is because our belief is in God. We believe that God is good and does good things. Therefore we can have faith in the words of Jesus Christ when He spoke of God, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV) We do not quit using common sense. Faith is not a presumptive action where we do whatever we want without fear of natural consequence. Instead, it is obedience to God even when we are unsure of the results, but we are confident that God loves and cares for us.

Living a life of faith does not guarantee a life continually overflowing with confidence and blessings. If you read the book of Job, in the Bible, you will see that Job lost his children, his possessions, and even his wife encouraged him to curse God and die. (Job 2:9) Yet we read that Job’s faith in God remained. Job seemed unsure if he would survive his physical ailments, but his faith in God does not appear to waver. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.” Job 13:15 (NIV) What an example of unwavering faith!

A real life of faith is a life of constant expectation. We may not understand the current circumstances, but we know that God is still in control and has our best interests in mind. Nevertheless, we will doubt occasionally or try to accomplish God’s plan using our methods instead of waiting on Him. Think of Abraham and his wife as they waited for God to fulfill the promise of a son. When Abraham and Sarah had a lapse in their faith, they ended up with a son from a servant girl instead of the promised child. (Genesis 15-16) About fourteen years after the promise, the promised child did come, but Abraham and Sarah had a constant reminder of their lack of faith each time they saw Ishmael, the servant girl’s son. (Genesis 21)

When we have difficulty exercising faith, it is because we are trying to rely on ourselves. The exercise of faith causes us to look to God to answer the situation and move into His shadow. Faith is like a muscle; it is the exercise of it that causes it to grow. When we rely only on our strength, our faith begins to atrophy.

If you find that your faith is weaker than it should be, move closer to God. Recognizing weak faith is not a problem; however, being content with weak faith is a problem. Jesus consistently challenged His disciples to grow in faith. On at least four occasions, Jesus directly challenged the disciples’ lack of faith. (Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8) I do not believe that Jesus was trying to humiliate or discourage the disciples. These times seem to attempt to get the disciples to step up and develop a stronger faith.

The things that cause us to spend the most time in prayer, asking God to intervene, are opportunities for more robust faith growth. When we recognize that God has the answer, and we must rely on Him to work on our behalf, faith grows.

Faith is necessary, but it is not always easy. Living in God’s shadow requires that we have faith in Him and His plan for our life. Because God loves, He wants us to live close to Him, but it requires faith. In the words of William Carey, “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”

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Big Scary Things

July 15, 2020 by Tim

While my son was still a toddler, he was afraid of dogs. It likely came from the fact that I owned a Siberian Husky at the time, and the dog was much larger than my son. When the dog turned suddenly and accidentally bumped my son causing him to fall, this added to his fear of dogs. The Husky was always gentle with the children, but the sheer size scared my son. I tried to convince him that the dog was gentle and kind. I told him the dog loved him. No one could persuade him that the large dog he saw was not dangerous. It took getting a miniature Schnauzer puppy to help him overcome his fear of dogs.

Experience has shown me that the challenges in life that appear insurmountable cause us the most fear. When there is a cancer diagnosis or more bills than money. When we face uncertainty, and no one else believes in our dreams and plans for the future. These things look gigantic. They appear like they will gobble us up. a

I recall one time that I told a pastor about an area of ministry I desired to develop to help a specific group of people. He responded by laughing at the very idea. It seemed like an impossibility to offer the assistance needed. While I could not form a support group for people with that specific need in the church, I did choose to provide support and encouragement to them apart from the church. It can be intimidating to start something believing that you have no support system. We must remember that God will support us in whatever He asks us to do.

Living in God’s shadow gives us the ability to have a different perspective of the giants that we face. When my son was so fearful of my big dog, he would only go near the dog if he were with me. He knew that I had a greater size than the dog, and he believed I could control the dog. When we live close to God, we recognize that He is significantly larger than any problem, criticism, or adventure we will face. Our ability to deal with the situation will be directly proportional to our reliance on the fact that God is bigger than the circumstance. God allows big, scary things to enter our lives to grow our confidence in Him.

Expressing the fact that we believe that God is bigger than the circumstance we face is not always effortless or fashionable. Scripture tells us about when the Israelites were preparing to invade that land that God had promised them. (Numbers 13-14) Attempting to understand where they were going and what they would face, they sent twelve spies into the land. The men chosen as spies inspected the area as they traveled through it. When they returned, the spies all agreed that it was fertile and prosperous land. They all agreed that some of the people in the area were very tall. Their belief in God’s abilities is where the division among the spies began. Ten of the spies said the people who live in the land are too tall and powerful, and even God cannot help us with this problem. The other two spies believed that God could do anything and encouraged them to follow God’s command to invade the land.

The Israelites chose to listen to the majority and refused to enter the land promised to them. Once they refused to invade, God gave the command to return to wandering in the desert. The people then presumed they could resist God’s second order to return to the desert and instead invade the Promised Land. This presumption that they could pick and chose which commands to follow caused them to lose the battle.

This story illustrates the fact that there is a difference between faith and presumption. If the Israelites acted in faith, they would not have allowed the ten spies to dissuade them from following what God had formerly commanded. They chose to hold back in fear. When God said to wander in the desert for a while longer, they decided it was time to invade. They presumed that God would be with them and fight for them even though they had disobeyed Him. Faith is essential to living in God’s shadow. Acting on presumption tends to move us out of God’s shadow.

We can only live in God’s shadow if we follow His directives. We cannot choose which ones to obey or follow them only if they are comfortable and convenient. Our understanding of how to apply God’s commands to our lives will increase as we spend time living in His shadow.

When God asks us to do things outside our comfort zone, He expects us to trust Him. He knows the matter is big and scary to us. He understands we do not see how things will work out. Sometimes the big, frightening circumstance that we face is God redirecting us.

Approximately a month after I graduated from college, I became the pastor of a small church. My training and interests were in foreign mission work. At that time, the denomination I worked for required two years of service as a pastor to be considered for missions work. I thought I was pastoring to fill that requirement. God had me stay at that church for six years. During those six years, God allowed various circumstances to prevent me from going into foreign missions. Eventually, God redirected me to the area where I currently live.

I have learned that God will not send us into any circumstance without giving us the courage and endurance we need for the situation. This grit will usually come on a minute-by-minute basis, as it is required. Living in God’s shadow is not a matter of lacking fear of anything. Instead, it is the ever-increasing confidence that God is in control and will be with us, providing us strength through each situation.

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Conversations of Faith

May 20, 2020 by Tim

Faith is a word that is defined by the context of its usage. I can say, “The Christian faith,” and I am talking about the doctrinal statements of a group. If I tell someone to “keep the faith,” I am telling them not to doubt whatever we are discussing. For those pursuing God, the most commonly used definition of the word faith is being convinced of the validity of God’s word and promises to the point of taking action. This point of view seems to be the idea contained in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (NRSV Bible)

Faith that we can have a relationship with God and that He hears our prayers is the foundation of Christianity. Pursuing God requires us to believe (have faith) that He is who He says He is. (Hebrews 11:6) Lacking this faith makes it impossible to pursue God.

We tend to confuse faith and presumption. Presumption tends to be based on our thoughts and wants. We consider how to make things convenient. Unfortunately, when we presume, we tend to plan schemes that are inside our abilities to perform. Presumption usually holds our egos and plans as having a higher value than pointing others to God. True faith considers what God wants and freely declares, “I do not know how God will do it, but I know that He will.”

My definition of faith is a wholehearted belief. It is when you believe something so entirely that you rest in it as fact. The strength of the conviction causes you to take action. Faith is trusting God to lead us down the correct path even when we cannot see any sign that a trail exists. Praising God for answers He has given in the past often helps to strengthen our faith today.

Years ago, I felt called to start a Spanish language church service. I knew very few Spanish speakers at the time, but in faith, I started the service. God rewarded my faith-filled actions by providing a congregation of Spanish speakers from people I did not know.

A prayer of faith is a purposeful conversation with God. Sometimes I find myself going through the motions of conversing with God, but my mind and heart are disengaged. Have you ever listened to your prayers? It is a good idea to listen to what we are saying to God. Are we giving Him orders? Are we mindlessly saying words? If our answer is yes, then we have to ask, “Do we believe with all our heart that God hears and answers prayer?” Faith is not about placing an order like we would at a fast-food drive-up window. A strong relationship with God enables us to believe that God is hearing our requests and working on our behalf. I have not found anywhere in the Bible where ordering God around was ever considered an exhibition of faith.

Bringing requests to God in prayer, convinced that He will respond, appears to be the methodology of faith illustrated in scripture. Jesus instructs us to ask in faith. (Matthew 21:22) The teaching expressed in both Matthew 21:22 and John 14:12-14 states that we can ask for anything, and God will do it. Common sense tells us that we would not request that God help us to break the Ten Commandments or anything else that would dishonor God. Therefore we should consider what our motivations are when we make requests to God. Are we looking for an easy way to get what we want without work?

It is easy to pray, “God, please put unlimited funds in my bank account.” Much more difficult is a prayer that says, “God, I want to honor you with everything you have given me. I am trusting You to supply all my needs.” Exhibiting faith does not mean sitting in a chair and hoping. Instead, it is actively taking advantage of the opportunities God provides.

As I review my life, I recognize many times when God rewarded my prayers of faith. If I prayed about a financial need, the answer would often be an opportunity for paying work. Housing needs meant that I still had to go out and look at housing opportunities.

About twenty years ago, my wife and I were looking to buy our first house. We had never experienced owning a home before, and we had just moved to the county where we hoped to buy. We prayed, asking God to help us find a house that fit our needs. We believed that God would supply. Our prayers and beliefs did not stop us from talking to real estate agents or from driving around areas we liked looking for ‘house for sale’ signs. Our faith that God would provide moved us to the action of looking for the provision. Faith is evidenced by living in expectation of the answer to our request. We are sure that God will answer our prayers; we just do not know how or when.

Hebrews chapter 11 gives an extensive list of people from the Bible who exhibited great faith, and some of them lived in expectation for a considerable time before they received a result from their prayers. Think of Abraham, who seems to have waited more than a decade before Isaac was born. In some cases, the faith-filled prayers of some received no result until after their death. Joseph, the son of Jacob, the patriarch, in faith, believed that his fellow Israelites would leave Egypt and return to where they had been living before coming to Egypt. While the answer to his faithful prayer did come, it was more than 400 years later.

Exhibiting faith does not mean that we never have doubts, that we are never impatient, or that we never try to control how things work. When my wife and I were trying to find a house to buy, we faced setbacks that made us have doubts. We had found a home that seemed to be the answer to all we needed. We called our real estate agent to put in an offer on the house and found out it had just been placed under a contract that morning. We faced the temptation to ask, “God, what are you doing? We have been asking You, God, to help us find a house. What do we do now?” We continued to look at houses but found nothing that would work or that was in our price range. About two weeks later, our real estate agent called us and said, “That house you were interested in is back on the market, the sale was not able to be completed. Are you still interested in it?” We assured her we wanted to place an offer. After the seller agreed to sell to us, we found out that we had only outbid our competition by a small amount. We marveled at how God had answered our prayers.

Living in God’s shadow requires us to have faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NRSV Bible)

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