Living By Faith

The author of the Letters to the Hebrews wrote, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). If we beleive this it should have an influence on our reaction toward the Lord when His will is not our will.

How do we react when events happen in our lives and in the world we don’t understand or situations that causes us pain? Do we reject Him in bitterness and claim He dosen’t care what happens to us or deny His existance? Or do we learn, through the events and pain, to trust Him on our knowledge of who He is, and not on our opionion who He ought to be? Do we put our trust in Him and truly believe His way is the best. His way will bring us trough the difficulties of life?

Jochebed, the mother of Moses put her trust in the Lord when her life and the life of her son was on the line. Trusting in the Lord she reaped a great reward. Her trust in the Lord when she placed Moses in a basket and put the basket in the Nile put Moses in the hands of the Lord.

Do you think, pharaoh’s daughter coming to the place were Jochebed placed Moses just happened? Do you believe it was mere curiosity that caused Miriam to remain in the place her mother placed Moses? God’s will is never frustrated. I believe the Lord directed pharaoh’s daughter to the place where Moses’ mother placed him in the Nile. I believe the Lord laid it on the heart of Miriam to remain in the place where her mother placed Moses. I believe the Lord filled the heart of pharaoh’s daughter with compassion when she opened the basket, saw Moses, and heard his crying.

What happened? The Lord not only gave Moses back to his mother she was paid to care for her son probably for two years which was the customary nusing time for jewish children. Jochebed’s faith enabled her, through the faithfulness of the Lord, to overcome a difficult time in her life.

No matter how difficult or painful our circumstance may be, "the Lord is righteous in all His works (Psalm 145:17). We can place our trust in His unchanging nature, His righteousness, faithfulness, and love. He will never let us down. He raise us to heights we thought impossible. All we need to do is trust and obey Him.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego trusted and obeyed the Lord. When ordered to bow before a gigantic gold statue in Babylon they refused. Their refusal to bow before the statue was a testimony of their faith. They had seen loved loves, friends, and neighbors killed when the Babylons invaded Judah. They saw the walls of Jerusalem torn down and the Temple destroyed. They knew king Nebuchadnezzar would not back down and would have them thrown into a fiery furnace. Yet they remain steadfast.

Nothing in the lives of God’s people, just happens. Nothing is beyond His control. He has a purpose for everything that happens in this world. The Lord wants us to be like Jochebed, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and trust Him because of who He is.

When our faith is tested we have two choices: we can rebel against the Lord or submit our situation to the Lord. Rebellion produces bitterness. Submission enables us to focus on what the Lord did for us at the cross and to say as Job did, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him (13:15). The choice is ours.