FAITH -6

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...believe that those thing which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith…
Lastly, faith can only be said to be complete when its demands are realized. There is usually a time lag between what is being requested and receiving the request. This lag phase is so critical to faith’s expression in that it is the period of trial - “the trying of your faith.” This is the period where doubt persecutes our patience. Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delays, problems without becoming annoyed or anxious. I once wrote in a post titled “waiting patiently” giving this simple illustration -
I was to meet with a friend by 5pm. I got to the venue in time for the meeting and was waiting for my friend. By 6pm he had not showed up and I couldn’t reach him on phone. He had the solution to pressing problem of mine so I had to wait for that long. By 6.30pm I was already getting annoyed murmuring and muttering and was about leaving when suddenly he appeared…
Would you have said I waited patiently? Yes, I waited from 5pm till the time he came. But waiting patiently, No! I ran out of patience around 6.30pm. If I had left before my murmuring and muttering, I still could have said that I waited patiently. And if I had left before my friend came, it would have still been said that I did not wait patiently since my friend later showed up.
The true test of faith is in our patience with God to act on our request.
“...he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16)
Most time we fail in this area but God is always patiently waiting for us to learn.  Put yourself in the shoes of these heroes of faith. What will you do?
  • if you were Abraham and you are at the point of sacrificing your only child. Would you not doubt whether it was truly God that gave such instruction?
  • if you were one of the Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and you were at the verge of been thrown into the fiery furnace just because you refuse to bow to an image. Would you not bow to save your neck and ask God for forgiveness later?
Whenever we do not wait patiently for God and chose whatever means to overcome the challenges, we lose a chance to experience God and thereby grow in faith. The seeming victories we get by our means becomes the “Ishmaels” of our lives and God’s response to him is “cast him out”
“My brothers and sisters, consider yourself fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

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