Walking by Faith, part 1

Walking by Faith, part 1

We must walk by faith.  What does that mean?It means that faith (which is trust in God), leads us to obey Him.   The faith of several thousand people whose obedience to the gospel is recorded in the book of Acts is a good starting place ; “… whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father, “your will be done”, Matthew 6:10.  Scripture (Ephesians 3:20, 21) teaches us of the overwhelming power of God, and that we must submit ourselves to the will of God, Who is able.    If the will of God is not revealed, as in some problem in our lives, we go to Him with faith like that of Shadrack and Abraham: our God is able, and He will deliver us.When Jesus said we should pray “your will be done”, He was speaking of the will of God which is revealed, what He “has spoken” (Hebrews 1:1, 2).  He was also speaking of things about which the outcome is unknown; so we go to God in prayer, beseeching Him with reference to matters of concern  -- “I am  injured, …” or, “help, my spouse and I are having trouble”; “I am having problems with my children” etc..  The one thing all these appeals have in common, if they are made as they should be, is that with each of them we submit to His unknowable will.:  “I want to walk again, but not my will, but your will be done”.

So: our attitude toward the will of God which is not revealed is, here is what I want; but your will be done!   I will trust and obey (Abraham exemplifies this attitude, in Genesis 12:1-4, and 22:1-2 – confer Hebrews 11:8, 17-20).

It means faith, trust in God, which leads us to submit to Him in all things.  Abraham and his faith come to mind.  Hebrews 11:8 says that Abraham obeyed when he was told to go out, as “he went out, not knowing where he was going” -- he trusted God.    Abraham again, Genesis 22:2, God said to him, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering.  Abraham rose early in the morning … and went to the place of which God had told him”.  Hebrews 11:19 says “He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead”; but that knowledge did not dilute his faith in God.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walked by faith.  

King Nebuchadnezzar had said, worship me or into the furnace you go.  The faithful reply of the young men was, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it known to you, O king that we will not serve your gods …” (Daniel 3:17, 18).   As they spoke, they did not know what God’s will in the matter would be, life or death; they only knew that whatever God’s will was, they would serve Him, and no other: ”your will be done”.

Pat