Morning By Morning #67

Have faith in God.

Mark 11:22

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Faith is the foot of the soul that enables us to march along the road of the commandments. Love can make our feet move more quickly, but faith is what actually carries the soul. Faith is the oil that enables the wheels of holiness and devotion to roll freely, for without faith the wheels will ultimately come off our chariot and we will simply drag along the ground. With faith “I can do everything” (Phil. 4:13), but without it I will have neither the inclination nor the power to do anything in service to God.

If you are looking for people who will serve God the best, look for people with the most faith. Little faith can save a person, but little faith will never do great things for God. In The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (1628-1688) Littlefaith could never have fought Apollyon—it took Christian to do that. Little-faith could never have slain Giant Despair—it required Great-heart’s arm to knock down that monster. Little-faith most certainly will get to heaven, but often along the way will be forced to hide itself and thereby frequently loses all rewards except its crown of salvation.

Little-faith says, “This is a rough road, covered with the sharpest thorns and full of danger. I’m afraid to go.” But Great-faith remembers the promise, “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25 KJV), so Great-faith boldly ventures ahead. Littlefaith waits in despondency, its tears mingling with the floodwaters it stands beside; but Greatfaith sings, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isa. 43:2); and then Great-faith fords the stream at once.

Do you desire to be comfortable and truly happy? Do you desire to enjoy your faith? Would you prefer a faith of cheerfulness as opposed to one of gloominess? Then “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). But if you love darkness and are satisfied to live in misery and gloom, then convince yourself to be content with little faith.

If you love sunshine and would rather sing songs of rejoicing, then earnestly desire and seek the best gift: “great faith” (Matt 8:10).

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Jesus used the words “great faith” only twice—neither in reference to the people of Israel. The first described a Roman centurion, someone hated by Israel, but a man with enough faith to ask Jesus to heal his servant. Upon this encounter Jesus said, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matt. 8:10). The other reference was to a Canaanite woman who asked the Lord to deliver her daughter from demon possession. Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted” (Matt. 15:28).

What does this say about the exercise of faith of God’s people today? As in days of old, we must be careful to follow the Lord in the inner heart of faith—not simply in our outward actions. In the Old Testament, God said of His people’s unholy rituals, “They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isa. 1:14). Thus, the church today as well must be careful not simply to have “a form of godliness [while] denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5).