FAITH IN THE LORD INCLUDES AN UNQUESTIONABLE BELIEF AND TRUST IN HIM

BIBLE PASSAGE:
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because
anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
(Hebrews 11:6)

MEDITATION:
It is amazing how some people have an unbelieving mindset when
it comes to Jesus, His existence, His sacrifice, and His resurrection.
Even though some were witnesses when He performed miracles,
they still refused to believe that He was who He said He was.
    Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence,
    they still would not believe in him. (John 12:37)

Think about this:
    On Penguin Island in Western Australia there are
    approximately 1200 penguins in a 31 acre area.
    Obviously it is an overwhelming amount of birds in a small area,
    and yet, each penguin knows, and can find the one that gave them birth.

God is the ultimate Creator of every human being
and yet some go through their entire life without finding Him.
It’s not out of ignorance, but a choice by some to not believe
in God when they hear, or read about Him; others never look for Him.

Consequently, they also refuse to believe in His Son,
even though He is the reason we can have a “second birth”.
Some may feel that if they believe in Him, they will have
to give up something they enjoy and in order to start following Him.

The truth is, we do give up some sinful pleasures so that
we can receive heavenly joys which the world cannot offer.
The joys we receive should trigger our faith in Him, as well as
our belief and trust that He is able to not only provide for our needs,
but that He will also defend us from the attacks from the evil one.

John G. Patton was a Bible translator in the South Sea Islands.
While translating scripture, he came to the word “believe” and
searched for a word that the native people could fully understand.
He wanted something that meant commitment and trust,
but he couldn’t think of an appropriate word to use.

Then one day, a messenger rushed into Mr. Patton’s room out of breath.
Needing to rest, he flung himself into a big chair
and leaned back in complete relaxation.
Patton asked the native for a word to describe what he did when he sat
down and completely trusted in the chair to hold him so he could relax.
That’s the word he used for “believe”.

Satan is too clever for believers to fight His temptations alone.
In fact, his temptations are so strong, that we will struggle
turning away from them, even when we ask for the Lord’s help.
We need the Lord to fight our battles for us, because He is able.
When we quit ‘trying’, and begin ‘trusting’ the Lord Jesus, that’s “belief”.

ACTION:
Do you ask the Holy Spirit to “help” you resist temptations,
or do you ask the Holy Spirit to “guard” you from temptations,
and then trust Him to be your Protector and Defender?

When Jesus was resurrected, He promised that He would
send us an Advocate to be with us in our daily walk with Him.
It shows the love Jesus has for us, and how much He
wants us to enjoy the “good life” that only He can provide.
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go,
I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

Our Advocate (Holy Spirit) will give us what we need
in order to live as believers and followers of Jesus Christ.
He can do that because Jesus is in constant communication with Him.
The Holy Spirit is our connection to the Lord.
    But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
    He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will
    tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that
    he will receive what he will make known to you. (John 16:13-14)

Start asking the Holy Spirit to protect you, and then trust Him to do it.
Then whenever you are tempted, whisper these words,
“Holy Spirit I trust You”.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son, and the Holy Spirit’s
presence in my life. Forgive me for the times I fail to believe and
trust in You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Thank You for giving me
a strong defense against the evil one and his relentless schemes to
disrupt my relationship with You. Thank You for Your love, mercy,
grace, blessings, forgiveness and salvation. Help me to allow Your
love to flow through me to others.”

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