And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
–Genesis 15:6 (KJV)
Believing on the Lord is an act of faith. When
we believe on the Lord, as did Abram of the Old Testament, we are moving
beyond knowledge to belief rooted in the heart. This is the essence
of pure faith, for we are trusting in God because of His Word and not
on what we can see. Here we find the New Testament definition
of faith at work in our live. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Abram was willing to trust in God despite the fact that all outward
appearances indicated the situation was hopeless. Faith believes
God even when doing so appears to make no sense.
Situations where God calls us to believe on Him regardless
of the circumstances will happen frequently in our lives. The
world does not make sense and neither does waiting on the Lord when
the evidence before us suggests we should take another course.
Every circumstance where we trust God and wait on His will to be done
is a test of faith resulting in spiritual and personal growth.
The way might seem right to us, but may be way out of God’s will.
In the devotional classic, “My Utmost for His Highest,” Oswald Chambers
said, “Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives,
it dulls our spiritual insight…the good is always the enemy of the
best (May 25).” God desires for us to take the best course for our
lives rather what simply appears good. Trusting God in the challenges
of life always leads to God’s glory and our benefit. Again,
we see a Biblical principle at work, for Romans 8:28 says, “All things
work together for the good, for those who love God and are called according
to His purpose.”
I love to write, but this cannot be the driving force
of my life. I enjoy exercise and a healthy lifestyle, but this
cannot be the driving force of my life. I deeply love my family,
the church, and being involved in the community, yet these are not to
be the driving forces of my life. Jesus Christ must be the driving
force of my life. By placing Christ first all other aspects of
my life line up in their proper place, just as Jesus promised.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you.”
You may be facing circumstances that appear hopeless.
Faith in Christ leads us to look to Him and believe despite what we
are seeing before us. Trust in the Lord, believe, do not doubt,
and have faith, for a brighter day is coming.
God bless you today.
