Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt 2: The Personal Practicality of Faith
"I'm not a preacher this week," said my dad. "I'm a packer."
The moving truck will arrive at Stately Blakey Manor next Friday to haul most of our earthly materials to our new home in California, so that means that it is crunch time for packing. Sometimes entering a room with an intention of packing it can be disheartening as you see piles of unorganized stuff. However, once you get over this feeling you settle into a practical rythym of packing. What is unneeded you throw away and anything else you pack up in a box for the movers.
As Christians we are called to live by faith, and at times this, too, can be disheartening. Yesterday I wrote about the definition of faith as well as the great and faithful God we believe. But today I want to discuss the personal practicality of faith.
As I looked at Abel, Enoch, and Noah, I noticed a common thread of odebience in their lives. Abel obeyed by offering a proper sacrifice. We do not know many specifics about Enoch, but we are told he walked with God for three hundred years. (Gen 5:22) Noah showed obedience by building an ark. Verse six says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
A life of faith can seem like a complicated thing, but it starts on the personal, practical level of seeking God and obeying him. Does our soul thirst for God so that we seek him earnestly? We need to be daily seeking the Lord through his word and prayer, and then obeying what he tells us. We should be radically pursuing holiness in our own lives as we see the revealed will of God in his word.
And this seeking and pursuing must be done by faith. It is easy for us to "suck it up" and try really hard on our own to obey. This might work for a while, but inevitably we will fail. We must seek the Lord by faith, earnestly asking for his help as we obey. Then we must by faith run with endurance no matter how many times we fall.
Now we get to the best part. God rewards those who seek him. James tells us if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. As we faithfully choose to obey, we will experience the blessings of a deeper faith and know the joys of walking with God. Also, those who obey will invariably have an impact, even after they're gone. Hebrews 11 says of Abel, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks."
As I have mentioned before, this verse reminds me of Mr. Rehrer. He is gone now, but he is still speaking because of his faith. One thing I will remember about Mr. Rehrer it how he sought the Lord and was committed to obeying him.
We believe in a great God, one who holds the ages in his hands. Let's seek earnestly to know him more, and then let's radically pursue obedience in our lives. These are the fundamentals of a life of faith.
Pt 2: The Personal Practicality of Faith
"I'm not a preacher this week," said my dad. "I'm a packer."
The moving truck will arrive at Stately Blakey Manor next Friday to haul most of our earthly materials to our new home in California, so that means that it is crunch time for packing. Sometimes entering a room with an intention of packing it can be disheartening as you see piles of unorganized stuff. However, once you get over this feeling you settle into a practical rythym of packing. What is unneeded you throw away and anything else you pack up in a box for the movers.
As Christians we are called to live by faith, and at times this, too, can be disheartening. Yesterday I wrote about the definition of faith as well as the great and faithful God we believe. But today I want to discuss the personal practicality of faith.
As I looked at Abel, Enoch, and Noah, I noticed a common thread of odebience in their lives. Abel obeyed by offering a proper sacrifice. We do not know many specifics about Enoch, but we are told he walked with God for three hundred years. (Gen 5:22) Noah showed obedience by building an ark. Verse six says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
A life of faith can seem like a complicated thing, but it starts on the personal, practical level of seeking God and obeying him. Does our soul thirst for God so that we seek him earnestly? We need to be daily seeking the Lord through his word and prayer, and then obeying what he tells us. We should be radically pursuing holiness in our own lives as we see the revealed will of God in his word.
And this seeking and pursuing must be done by faith. It is easy for us to "suck it up" and try really hard on our own to obey. This might work for a while, but inevitably we will fail. We must seek the Lord by faith, earnestly asking for his help as we obey. Then we must by faith run with endurance no matter how many times we fall.
Now we get to the best part. God rewards those who seek him. James tells us if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. As we faithfully choose to obey, we will experience the blessings of a deeper faith and know the joys of walking with God. Also, those who obey will invariably have an impact, even after they're gone. Hebrews 11 says of Abel, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks."
As I have mentioned before, this verse reminds me of Mr. Rehrer. He is gone now, but he is still speaking because of his faith. One thing I will remember about Mr. Rehrer it how he sought the Lord and was committed to obeying him.
We believe in a great God, one who holds the ages in his hands. Let's seek earnestly to know him more, and then let's radically pursue obedience in our lives. These are the fundamentals of a life of faith.
posted by Ben Blakey at 1:29 PM
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