Faith, Mighty Faith – Sunday Thought For The Day

The late hymn writer and clergyman Charles Wesley said: “Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done.”  The past three days, I have been blessed to have these his words played out in my life in real time.

Thursday afternoon my dear friend’s wife had kidney surgery.  Thursday evening, his update was that after hours of surgery, the surgeons were frustrated, because of unexpected difficulties.  His wife was going to transferred the next day (Friday), to another hospital.

My friend and I were in touch throughout the morning and midday Friday.  Friday, late afternoon he called and said that the CT-Scan taken earlier in the day had revealed growths on his wife’s ovaries that were consistent with cancer and biopsy was needed.

I shared the news with our prayer group.

Saturday, mid-evening he told me, there was no cancer!!  In fact, the doctors weren’t going to do anything about the growths until a later date.  They were going to attend to the swelling of her kidneys and get them taken care of first.  In brief, there was no urgency.

I shared the news with our prayer group.  Another dear friend and brother in Christ that I had shared the prayer request with, texted me back, saying, “praise the Lord.”  He has cancer and the doctors gave him four months to live, which if my math is correct was about 16 months ago.  As we spoke Saturday evening, he shared his latest health update is: he’s almost healed.

Now, back to the words of Charles Wesley.  When my friend had called me Friday concerning the latest development with his wife; we didn’t panic, we didn’t fear, we didn’t doubt; we prayed giving thanks to God, because looking at things through the eyes of the flesh nothing appeared to be going right.  Nothing seemed to be going in answer to our prayers.

When my other friend had called me in December of last year to share what the doctors had informed him; I was in a hospital bed waiting to be taken to the operating room to begin prep for heart surgery.  We talked, prayed and gave thanks and praise to God.

Many times in scripture we read of the Lord telling the Apostle Paul and others to: “Be not afraid;” before giving them the reason(s) to not fear.  This isn’t a myth nor is it an encouragement just for certain people called to certain ministries.  “Be not afraid” is a message of encouragement and promise to every single person who is truly born again.

Fear is doubting what God can and will do.  The Lord’s encouragement and promises to protect Paul are words of encouragement and promises to protect us as well.  Paul obeyed God and trusted the Lord and in so doing he lived in the light of His promises.

This is why Paul was could confidently write in 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV that God has not given us a spirit of fear.  The spirit of fear is a spirit of doubt and disbelief.  True faith knows and believes that regardless of what we’re facing; regardless of how impossible things look in our eyes: God has proven countless times over that placing our trust and faith in Him removes the weight of the impossible, because things are only impossible for you and I.  Nothing is impossible with God.  We’re to pray in faith and we’re to believe God will answer, even if the answer seems to be contrary to our prayer.  Thus the reason we pray: “Thy will be done.”

Let the words of Charles Wesley soak in.  Read the scriptures in which Jesus, our Savior and our God tells people to not be afraid.  Read how those being told same respond.  When we find  ourselves facing impossible situations, remember those situations are only impossible for you and I – they aren’t impossible for God.  Every truly born again child of God must understand what it means to have faith in God and pray without ceasing.

READ:

Psalm 34:1-10 KJV
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.