FAITH: Trust plus obedience equals real faith
“Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).
Some people think a life of full trust means a do-nothing life. Instead, it means a life of implicit obedience.
It is not to do some things, but to do “whatever He (God) says.”
The gospels say Jesus “learnt obedience” and he knew the blessedness of it. We shall, too, if we follow those words.
Who said it? His mother.
She knew so much about that dear Son of hers.
He would never ask them to do anything that not for their good.
She knew it was well worth doing what he said.
When we know as much of Jesus as his mother did, we shall not only long to do everything he says ourselves, but we shall wish to lead others to do the same.
To obey is a happy thing when it is to obey Jesus.
Obeying at once is comparatively easy, but if we wait, it becomes harder.
A little longer and it becomes very difficult.
Jesus’ command to the servants was: “Fill the water pots with water.”
Mary did not know what He would say but we read that the servants, following the strange command of Jesus, filled the vats to the brim. They did not mind the trouble.
Perhaps some of us would have filled them only half-full. Let us not obey the Lord in part, but with a brimful obedience.
Then Jesus said: “Draw out now.”
How strange to draw water for the governor of the feast!
But, because Jesus said, they did it.
They took the water that had become wine and bore it.
If they had reasoned or refused, there must have been delay or no wine at all. They trusted a stranger!
From the incident of water-turned-into-wine, we learn the attitude our soul ought to assume, which is expressed in Hebrews 12:2: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”
We need to keep fixing our eyes on Jesus moment by moment, if it is to be an effectual “fixing. We cannot take a look which will last long into the future.
If we want to know the time, we look at the watch or the clock.
But that look will be of no avail in a few minutes — we have to look again.
Similarly, we must keep looking continually to Jesus.
Psalm 112:7 says of the good man, “He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
The person who trusts in the Lord will have “evil tidings,” but he will not be moved.
It is such a blessed experience that if an archangel were to tell us we were to have no more trouble, we would not thank him.
Christ learned obedience by suffering. Should we shrink from them?
If we hope for the companionship of God throughout eternity, He would expect the disciplined ones down here in His own way.
We can’t have a stock of grace.
We want our hearts just fixed on Him who gives grace.
What the Lord wants is to keep us chronic beggars. All we have we receive from Him.
It ought to be so – I am a poor beggar, but I have my hand on the open purse of a true friend by my side who is both able and willing to supply my need.
He keeps telling us to take as much as we want. The more we take, the better He likes it.
We shall always have enough moment by moment, but we shall never have more than enough for the moment.
The moment a Christian’s heart is unfixed and he begins to doubt and murmur and regret God’s will, he is on the high road to distrust and unbelief.
The more trouble we have, the more we are to repose on Jesus.
If we have very many troubles and the Lord were to say: “I only can undertake half of them,” our case would indeed be a sad one.
But He is willing to take every trouble from us and He does it with much love.
But, perhaps we say: “I have no faith.” This is not true though we may have very little.
Perhaps we think we must wait until we have strong faith.
Where do we find this in the Word of God?
We must make use of the faith we have, then we may pray for more.
If we do not exercise the faith we have, we are almost mocking God in asking for more.
Let’s put all in the hand of the Lord, remembering that unbelief is sin.
Let us throw ourselves at His feet, with little or much faith, with emotion or no emotion.
And, let us do it today.
narayanmitra@hotmail.com
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