Thought for Wednesdsy, 26 July 2023

 Hebrews 11:1 NIVUK

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

 

“In the last resort faith is an act of will, inspired by love. Our love may be chilled and our will eroded, by the spectacle of the shortcomings, folly, and even sins of the Church and its ministers, but I do not think that one who has once had faith goes back over the line for these reasons.”                                        J. R. R. Tolkien

We hear so much these days about people losing their faith and it troubles me. Many of those I have read about are, or have been, church leaders and people who have had a ministry outside formal church worship.

However, I have also read and heard about a lot who are coming to faith that were previously against ‘religion’ and refused to have anything to do with God and Father, Son, and Spirit. They had been vocal in proclaiming their disdain for such a thing.

We see in John 20:27 even Thomas doubted, his doubt, though, was centred on the resurrection. The resurrection is sometimes still a sticking point with those who don’t want to believe. They relegate it to the ‘supernatural’, which it is. Everything about Jesus is SUPERnatural. If God were not above nature, He could not have made all the natural world we were given to take care of.

Faith, like love, is an act of will as   J. R. R. Tolkien said. If we choose to ignore the presence of our creator Father of course we will not give Him the glory, He deserves. I give praise to God for those who are finally giving themselves to Him but my heart breaks for those who have turned away from Him. They have lost so much, thinking they will find much more. Unfortunately, what they will find is the whispers of Satan urging them to worse and worse paths.

Can I say we must pray for all of God’s children, not only those who have found the path Jesus showed us but also those who have chosen to step off that path. They think they will have a better life but do not realise that it is really a trap of the evil one.

We need to be wary of the leaders and ministers of the church, who have taken that path yet still preach in our churches and communities.

Are we sure we are being taught by a faithful teacher?

He who loses money loses much. He who loses a friend loses more. But he who loses faith loses all.      (Unknown)

To God be all glory praise and honour!

Prayer

Loving Father, help us to be strong in our faith. So many are being deceived by the father of lies and dismissing You as irrelevant. May they realise their error and be welcomed back by You. Strengthen those who have recently found the truth and turned to You. Lord God, we share some of the sense of loss You must be feeling at the turning away of many of those who had been stalwarts of the faith, only to step away as was prophesied in scripture. We have Your word that You will always be with us, help us to be always with You. In Jesus precious name, amen.