Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find
something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint,
will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and
faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural
life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common
sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of
Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to
shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to
say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from
the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that
scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42).
Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter
something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall
supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19).
When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this
trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate
possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now?
The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus
said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6).
The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of
Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end .
. .” (Hebrews 3:14).
Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will
strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith
up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test.
Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He
would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
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