Daily Devo: July 24 Burn Bright!

We have been journeying through the wilderness and changing our attitudes along the way. As we've studied, maybe you've realized that there are things you needed to work on. Maybe there were some of the posts that you just couldn't relate to at all. That's okay because we don't all walk the same paths at the same time! We would be in serious trouble if we did! However, this week's topic applies to EVERYONE. Whether you are a new believer, old believer, or a skeptic believer. We're going to talk about Faith.
What is Faith? First off, faith is not a feeling. FAITH IS NOT A FEELING. Remember when the Israelites got all scared when Moses when up on the mountain and was gone too long so they "convinced" Aaron to make the golden calf to worship instead of God? That was the feeling of fear that guided them, not faith. When we allow our feelings to guide us we do the same thing. We may not make golden idols, but we rely on bank accounts rather than God. We rely on friends rather than God. We rely on anything we can get our grubby hands on rather than God. That's what feelings do, they guide us AWAY from God. Faith is not a feeling.

 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.Hebrew 11:1

 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:17

 Both of these verses describe belief coupled with action because faith works (that is a play on words right there)! Faith is not a passive, warm feeling we get as we cuddle up in our favorite blanket. Faith is powerful and it changes our lives. When it changes it our lives it begins to bleed over into the lives around us. Read the whole chapter of Hebrew 11. Last week we talked about rebuilding broken lives, even when that broken life was our own. That requires faith in the builder too. Whether you're beginning at the beginning or you're far into your journey, faith is a walk we are all on and continue to grow in!
No matter how you feel right now, faith says God is still God and He is still good. Faith says we hope in what we believe because we know in whom we belong. We looked at several verses last week addressing this, but let's look at some more because who can get enough??!!

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colos 3:1-3

Faith is also an area where we NEVER cease to grow. We never come to a point that we decide we can just settle in and get comfortable. Take a page out of the disciple's playbook who literally walked with Christ, you must guard your heart and continue to seek HIM!

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”Matt17:20

 We need to be reminded that in contrast to James 2:17, just because we are "doing" doesn't mean we have the faith needed to be doing it all.  As a mom, I always feel the need to be "Supermom" in everything and of course I fail miserably. I love this verse because in my life with God I'm reminded that I need to stop with this "Go big or go home". If I just had the faith the size of a mustard seed I could move mountains. I get so consumed with the "doing" big things that I forget to simply rely on the ONE who gives the power to do all things.
This week's work is to cultivate our faith into real faith. Not the feeling faith, but the rock solid, moving mountains faith. Dive into scripture. Hit your knees until they are so sore you walk funny. We can't push back the darkness without the light from Christ. Burn bright!