God’s Promise and Our Tried Faith
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Let me say it is easy to trust God when everything is going well, when everything is gentle, smooth, peaceful, and you are looking at and enjoying life with a balcony view looking at the clam waves gently cascading across the oceans of life. However, when our world begins to fall apart, when the winds begin blowing and the waves start to rage, when things are spinning out of control, when the hellhounds of racial, political, and spiritual ravenous wolves have been released against you, when we face significant changes in our worlds of work, social gatherings, religious affiliations and when we face the this should not be happening circumstances of life then it becomes easy to find ourselves questioning God, doubting His sovereignty and goodness because we don’t understand His plan. Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”.
Yes, it is true that trials come to strengthen our faith. We know and understand that the trying of our faith worketh patience causing us to grow spiritually, become stronger and for the developing our character shaping us into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ and ultimately giving honor and glory to God. However, in the midst of the trying of our faith we will question God and even doubt while going through our circumstances because we don’t understand the how. It is imperative that we understand God is not intimidated by our questions nor is He disappointed in our doubts, but we must learn how to hold onto God’s Promise in the midst of our tried faith realizing that a faith that is not tried is a faith that can’t be trusted. If I never had a problem, how would I know that God could solve them.
So today I want to talk about God’s Promise and Our Tried Faith.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: Galatians 3:6-7 “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham”.
James 1:2-6 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”.
Genesis 15:17 “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”.
The trying of our faith although at the time is hard for us to understand will result in praise, glory, and honour bringing glory to God’s name, strengthening your faith, developing your character, and encouraging others. Although while in the midst of the trying of our faith we struggle to understand the promise of God, we struggle to realize the purpose, but we understand “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28. James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. However, when we come through the trying of our faith God is glorified, we are strengthened, and our faith has grown.
PURPOSE: - There can be no faith without testing and trying of your faith; we can’t say we have faith, yet we do not pass the test. All faith must be tested. God tries our faith so that we may grow spiritually stronger and that our character develops into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, trials are a means through which God refines, strengthens, and purifies His people. Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”.
It is during this trying of our faith that doubt and questioning rise. I stated God is not intimidated by our question nor disappointed in our doubts when you understand that this is the place God wants us to be to begin building our strength and character of faith. This is not doubting believing that He will NOT DO it but struggling with HOW will it be done, because with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. WATCH THIS:- Mark 9:17-24 says, “And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief”. This man believed that Jesus would heal his son, he had faith that He could heal his son for that is what brought him to Jesus it was faith, but his faith needed to grow and be strengthened because he didn’t know how it would happen, so he had faith that Jesus can but he struggled with how that’s why he said help my unbelief. He wasn’t that he doubted Jesus he struggled with understanding HOW – because I took him to your disciples, and they couldn’t do it. I know you can but I need you to strengthen my unbelief. When Sarah heard that she would give Abraham a son she laughed WHY because she struggled with the HOW her and Abraham both were old, she knew God could but with what He has to work with How. Her faith had to be strengthened. When Mary was approached by the angel Gabreil her faith had to be strengthened and she questioned the HOW - in Luke 1:31-35 “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God”.
So, we see it is ok to struggle with the How of faith until our faith grows and is strengthened, we may question how, but we must have the foundation of faith, that mustard seed faith to begin with, that is the meaning of faith to more faith to much faith.
In studying on this week and dealing with the asinine decisions that were coming down, the changes to policies, the Federal proposed layoffs, the operating structure that I had been working and helping and reaching people as a way of making a living was suddenly illegal, discriminatory, degrading, immoral, and offensive. I found myself struggling and asking God How. I know that He can and I know that He will, but I was like the servant of Elisha in 2 Kings 6:15-18 “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha”.
Then He had me go to Genesis 15 and as I began to read this chapter God revealed this to me. Abraham was told to leave his home the land of Ur and Haran for a destination unknown, he had to literally walk by faith and not by sight Genesis 12 and take his brother’s son Lot with him. In Genesis 13 Lot and Abraham separate over family disputes. In Genesis 14 Abraham delivers Lot from the hands of 5 kings and then pays tithes to Melchizedek king of Salem, so Abraham is doing everything he is supposed to do then in Genesis 15 God tells Abraham that he is going to give him a son and Abraham struggles with how can this be when I am already old, how can this be when everything around me is messed up. How can this be when what I am looking at is crazy. I have given up some things, I have left somethings behind, I have turned toward God, I have not apprehended that which I seek, but I come to far I can’t turn back now, by this time in my walk with God I should be pass this, but now I find myself dealing with this and I just don’t know how what you called me to do is going to happen, I am struggling with the how.
Then I come to Genesis 15:17 “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”.
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark – this was not just an ordinary dark and cloudy night, but it was a time of great affliction and distress when it seemed like it was hopeless, when there couldn’t be any way humanly possible, when we get to the end of ourself reliance and self-sustainability. When we finally reach the point where we say unless God does it there is no way possible for it to be done. This is why God is not disappointed with our doubts, He is not intimidated by our questions because He wants us to get to the point where we confess with man this is impossible, it is not by any power or strength of my own because now we understand that it is by His spirit, and we give God all the glory.
behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”. Now let me explain this Abraham asked God How will I know that I will inherit what you promised. So, God had Abrham in verses 9-10 “And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not”.
Now this was how a covenant between two people was established which is also confirmed in Jeremiah 34:18. The way the covenant worked was that two people would agree upon something then they would take the animals cut them in half lay the pieces on the ground and walk between them. As they walked between the pieces, they would make this covenant between “if either of us fail in their part of the covenant may they be cut into pieces like these animals”.
WATCH THIS: -
The “smoking furnace” represents a divine presence that is often associated with judgment and purification. In the context of the ancient Near East, a furnace was used for refining and purifying metals. This image can be seen as a symbol of God’s judgment or purification, signifying the seriousness and sanctity of the covenant being established.
The “burning lamp” or “flaming torch” is a symbol of God’s guiding and sustaining presence. In the Bible, light represents guidance, truth, and the divine presence. The burning lamp moving between the pieces signifies God’s active participation in the covenant and His commitment to fulfilling the promises made to Abram.
Together, these symbols highlight the solemn and unbreakable nature of the covenant. The presence of these elements passing between the pieces underscores that God Himself is both the guarantor and the enforcer of this promise, making it a divine pledge of unwavering faithfulness.
Now God made this covenant with Abraham but Galatians 3:6-7 says, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham”. Since we are they which are of faith we are the spiritual children of Abraham this promise, and all promises God promised Abraham through faith belong to us as well. Not based on anything thing that we have done, the promise is totally depended upon God and our faith in Him.
CLOSING: - Just as God passed between the pieces, signifying His covenant with Abraham, He continues to uphold His promises in our lives today. We have this blessed assurance in the form of comfort and strength, reminding us that God’s promises are sure and dependable regardless of what it may seem. Like the song says, “All around me is sinking sand but on Christ the solid rock I stand”.
He wants our strength to increase, He wants us to go from faith to more faith to much faith, but the promise is totally in and upon Him. God’s promise & Our Tried Faith.
God may use difficult circumstances to purify and strengthen our faith. However, we can take comfort in the fact that God’s presence is with us, even in the midst of hardship.
When we face an era of uncertainty and change like we are dealing with right now, when everything seems dark and we don’t know how this is going to work out we must remember that all we have to do is rest the blessed assurance of God’s unwavering promises understanding that they offer hope and stability, knowing that God is faithful to His word and will fulfill His promises.
CONCLUSION: - The verse of Genesis 15:17 stands as a testament to the seriousness and solemnity of God’s covenant with Abraham. The imagery of the smoking furnace and burning lamp symbolizing the establishment of a divine covenant with Abraham, serves as a powerful reminder of God’s divine presence and commitment. It truly signifies the depth of God’s promise and His, active role in upholding the promise not merely verbal but it is backed by His very presence and authority.
This verse not only provides historical and theological insight but also offers practical lessons and understanding for us today, including trust in God’s promises, understanding the nature of covenant relationships, and finding strength through trials. It underscores the idea that the Divine Promises of God are not subject to human failings but are guaranteed by the character of God Himself, causing us to strengthen our faith in God’s promises and an understanding of the covenantal relationship that defines our walk on this glorious journey.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
