Our Family Time with God

Nov. 4, 2009

FAITH

Scripture Reading--1 Timothy 4:12

"Let no man despise thy youth;

but be thou an example of the believers,

in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity"

( emphasis added ).

A Christian is someone who makes believing in God easy. His life mirrors the Lord Jesus. Exemplifying faith means being a living illustration of what we say we believe. We not only believe in God, but we actually believe God.

A group of scientists in Scotland offered a young boy lots of money if he would allow himself to be lowered by rope over a steep cliff into a mountain gorge. The boy was poor and wanted the money, but when he looked down into the 200-foot chasm, he said, "No." After more persuasion, he said, "I will go if my father holds the rope." He knew he could trust his father; he had confidence in him. He exercised his will and allowed his father to lower him into the chasm.

Living by faith means we have perfect confidence in God. We don't look to self or to others; we look to One much greater than ourselves. When the pilot of a Boeing 747 fires up his engines and races down the runway, he has perfect confidence in the law of aerodynamics. He believes the giant plane will lift off the ground, but he doesn't trust himself to perform that act. He trusts in something more powerful.

Those who live by faith know how to trust God for provision, protection, and direction. They rest in Him for every need. Walking by faith means looking beyond what we can see to what can be. We launch out with full assurance in our Heavenly Father. if that young boy hadn't placed his trust in his dad, he wouldn't have attempted that feat. Had he not trusted, he wouldn't have succeeded. If we don't believe, we won't try. And if we don't try, we won't succeed.

THOUGHT: A good example is the best sermon.

--Harold Vaughan--