Appropriating faith
In a desperate attempt to teach the principle of appropriating faith to the members of his church, a preacher once offered his expensive pocket watch to a group of boys sitting on the front row.
“Sonny, would you like to have this watch?” he asked the oldest boy.
“You can’t fool me! I know you don’t mean it,” answered the boy.
The question was repeated to the next boy, and again and again down the line. Each time came a similar answer.
At last the preacher offered the watch to a little fellow about five years old, who was sitting on the edge of his seat, his bright, eager eyes focused intently on the preachers face.
“Little man, would you like …” That was enough. A chubby hand quickly grabbed the watch and instantly pocketed the gift. While wiggling back on the seat, the boy said with a satisfied, grown-up sigh that it was just what he had been wanting all the time.
After the service, the other boys crowded around the preacher and protested. “How were we supposed to know you really meant it?” “That’s just the kind of watch I was wanting.” “If you really meant it, why didn’t you put it in my hand, or ask me again, so I’d know?”
Only the youngest boy had appropriating faith and put his faith into action.
Action
Many people believe the promises of God, but in sort of an impersonal, indefinite way: “Oh yes, they apply in general, but not specifically to me or this situation.” Whereas the person who gets results is he who, when he has asked God for something, acts on his faith, and proceeds as if he possesses. He takes God at His Word on some promise, and counts it done. This is often called the “stand of faith.”
A splendid illustration of this is found in the Bible passage where Jesus told the lepers who came to Him for healing to go show themselves to the priest for cleansing. Jesus hadn’t healed them yet, but the scripture says that, “As they went, they were healed.” As they put their faith into action and obeyed, even though they hadn’t yet seen the answer to their prayers, God met them. (See Luke 17:12-14.) When we put forth the effort of a believing will, God honors that step and meets us. As someone once said, “When faith goes to market, it takes a basket along.”
The stand of faith
One time I had prayed and done everything else that I knew to do, yet there was no answer to my prayer. I had come to the end of myself and could do nothing more. Why didn’t God answer?
As I turned the pages of my Bible and prayed, my eyes fell on these very words: “Having done all, stand” (Ephesians 6:13). Immediately I saw the truth. I had been virtually blaming the Lord for not answering my prayer, when I had not been doing my part at all. I hadn’t taken the stand of faith.
So I began to praise and thank Him that the answer was on the way. Within six hours I saw that answer, but I could not praise Him any more then than I had when I had first taken the “stand of faith.” It had already been mine by faith. We see because we believed, not believe because we have seen.
Faith is not some great thing, not some glorious feeling, not some wonderful sensation, as many think, but it is simply taking God at His Word. Just as your hand reaches out and takes a hold of something, so faith is the spiritual hand that reaches out and takes a hold of the promises of God and appropriates them.
So make the connection with God today through prayer, bringing your requests to Him and claiming His promises. He never fails!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Jesus …
Thank You that You understand my heart. Thank You that I never have to worry about whether You understand or not. When I feel that I can’t explain properly and I fumble over my words, or when I can’t find the right words to express what I really want to say, thank You that I can just rest in Your arms and know that You make sense out of these words I speak. Thank You, Jesus, that I don’t always even have to talk to You in words. You just understand everything I’m trying to say, as I pour out my heart to You.
Prayer Protection
The Missed Bus
I’ve missed my bus again,” sighed Miguel, who was working later than usual.
Just then Pablo came into the office. “I thought you went home a while ago,” Miguel said. “Why did you come back?”
“I forgot my Bible,” Pablo answered, “and now I see that I’ve missed the bus too!”
Just then they heard the screech of brakes and tires, followed by a loud crash. There had been a serious accident!
Miguel and Pablo were shocked to learn what had happened. The brakes had failed on a freight truck loaded with iron as the truck started down a steep hill. The driver lost control and it crashed into the very bus that the two of them usually rode! Twelve people died and 35 were badly injured in this tragic accident.
Every day Miguel’s wife, Maria, prays for her husbands safety, and this day God had miraculously answered!
I can take my telescope and look millions of miles into space; but I can lay my telescope aside, go into my room and shut the door, and while in earnest prayer I see more of Heaven and get closer to God than I can when assisted by all the telescopes and material agencies on earth.
–Isaac Newton