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 the world has to offer will set us up for disappointment.
Many had a faith in the security 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.
Many 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
them a lucrative professional contract, 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 of this world, then where should we place our faith?
Can we find anything, or anyone to have a confident faith in?
That is a great question, and Jesus (whom we can rely on)
gives us the answer. He simply said, “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 the most
dependable and reputable source – Jesus.
Why should we 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 fail at any time, if He chooses to
do that. We should listen to Jesus, and not to the world.
Jesus gave this advice to one of His close followers. He said
this to Peter after he 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 can see that Jesus
often had ‘teaching moments’ for those who followed Him.
This may have served as reminder to Peter that God expects
‘fruit’ from those who belong to Him, and when they do not
produce ‘fruit’ they can expect some consequences. Think
about this:
When God graciously gives salvation to those who
repent of their sins and commit to following Jesus.
However, at the same time He gives us a spiritual
gift and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Why does
He give us these two blessings? Doesn’t it make sense
that He knows we will need these in order to produce
the ‘fruit’ He expects of us? Many never seek to find
the spiritual gift God has given them for producing
‘fruit’, and some who have found their gift, never
use it as He 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. If we add all of
these verses together, it seems as if Jesus is telling us,
“God expects us to produce fruit with 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:
Where have you placed your faith? Have you learned to
have faith in God, and to trust Him in all things? Does
your faith include consistent prayer, and a confidence
in using what He has given you for producing ‘fruit’?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You are the God of the universe and
I cannot think of anything or anyone else I can fully trust
and depend which compares 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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