BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
(Mark 11:22)
MEDITATION:
A question that is often asked is:
“Where is your faith?”
We may even ask this question of ourselves. The question is meant
to find out what a person depends on most. What do they feel can
help them the most and give them the best sense of security. Is it a
bank account, a job, physical abilities, intellect, charisma, or special
talents, etc.?
We can look at history and easily see that putting our faith in things
of the world will set us up for disappointments. Some had faith in
the security and safety of the Titanic because the builders assured
them it would never sink….but it did.
Some have put their faith in the government of a country, but were
sadly disappointed when it collapsed right before their eyes. Some
placed their faith in stocks and bonds, but lost it all when the stock
market crashed.
Some had faith in their jobs until the company they worked for
went out of business and they were left unemployed with bills to
pay. Some had faith that their physical abilities would garner a
lucrative professional contract for them, until they blew out a
knee and could no longer play.
If we are going to be disappointed whenever we place our faith
in anything in this world, then where should we place our faith?
Can we find anything, or anyone, where we can confidently put
place our faith and trust?
That’s a great question, and Jesus (whom we CAN rely on)
gives us the answer. He said simply, “Have faith in God”.
What a great recommendation from our all-knowing Savior!
The target of our faith should be in our Creator of everything,
wouldn’t you agree? He is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent
(all powerful), and omnipresent (available everywhere)! He also
has been given the highest recommendation from an absolutely
dependable and reputable source – Jesus.
Why would we want to place our faith in anything inferior to God?
He holds everything of the world in the palm of His hand. He can
cause anything to succeed or fail at any time, if He chooses. We can
benefit by listening to Jesus and not the world.
Jesus gave this advice (“have faith in God”) to one of His close followers.
He said this to Peter after he had witnessed the effects of the spoken words
of Jesus regarding a fig tree that failed to produce the fruit expected of it.
When we read the bible, we see that Jesus often had ‘teaching moments’
for those who followed Him, and this was one of those times for Peter.
This may have served as a reminder to Peter that God expects
‘fruit’ from those who are following Him; and when they don’t
produce ‘fruit’ they can expect some consequences. Think about
this:
God graciously gives salvation to those who repent of
their sins and commit to following Jesus. In addition,
He gives us a spiritual gift and the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit (when we ask). Why does He give us these
two blessings? Doesn’t it make sense that He knows we
will need these for producing the ‘fruit’ He expects of us?
Some never seek to find the spiritual gift God has given
them for producing ‘fruit’; and some who have found
their spiritual gift, have never used it as God intended.
The fig tree that failed to produce its expected fruit, withered
‘from the roots’. Of course, the ‘roots’ are the foundation for
plants, so this tree had lost its foundation. If we fail to produce
fruit, could Jesus be implying that we run the risk of losing the
foundation of our faith? Is that why He said to Peter,
“Have faith in God”?
What is the foundation of our faith? It is our belief that what
we have read in the bible is true, including our need to pray.
When we read the next few verses, we see that Jesus begins
to speak about the importance of prayer.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything
against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in
heaven may forgive you your sins.”
(Mark 11:24-25)
When we combine these verses, it appears that Jesus is telling
us,
“God expects us to produce fruit using the ‘tools’ He
has given us, and prayer is the foundation that gives
us the confidence we need to do what He asks of us.”
ACTION:
Questions we could ourselves:
– Where have I placed my faith and trust?
– Have I learned to have faith in God and trust Him in all things?
– Does my faith include consistent prayer, and do I have confidence
in using what He has given me for producing ‘fruit’?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You are the God of the universe and
I can’t think of anything or anyone else I can fully trust
and depend on when compared to You. Forgive me if I have
been placing my faith in anything of this world. Teach me
to have complete dependence on You and to realize my need
to have faith in You for even my smallest needs. Thank You,
Jesus for reminding me that my faith needs to be in God, and
not in anything of this world. Help me Holy Spirit to use what
God has given me for producing the fruit He expects of me.”
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