The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Faithfulness… Faith"
"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5).
How does faith grow? First and foremost, to the degree our knowledge and understanding of God's faithfulness grows. We trust a trustworthy person to the degree we know them. Increased faith in God therefore requires our determination to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).
Perfect Trustworthiness ever beckons our imperfect trust, calling us to more and more realize the integrity of the God who "cannot lie" (Titus 1:2). We therefore seek to avail ourselves of the gifts God gives whereby we discover and experience the faithfulness of His heart. Prayer, the Scriptures, fellow believers, and a chosen expectation that our Heavenly Father providentially works along the pathways of life enhances our awareness of how completely He can be trusted. He realizes better than do we ourselves the challenge we face in a fallen world that continually calls us to trust in anything but our God. He faithfully works in all things and at all times for the benefit of our growth in grace, which ever results in our growth in faith. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calleth you, who also will do it" (I Thessalonians 5:23-24).
God can be trusted completely, without hesitation or reservation. "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart" (Proverbs 3:5). This we know. This we must know better, regardless of where we may be in our walk by faith with our Lord. Yes, perfect Faithfulness calls to our hearts. Our imperfect faith must respond, even as the disciples so wisely requested an increase in their capacity to trust God. He will respond by working to increase our awareness of His character, integrity, and the glorious impeccability of His character. Indeed, no one has ever trusted the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and been disappointed for doing so. The better we know this, the more increased faith will result as perfect Trustworthiness leads to greater trust.
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises."
(II Peter 1:2-4)
Weekly Memory Verse
For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
(II Corinthians 13:4)
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