Life by Faith

Life can be overwhelming with all its demands that we have to put up with. Sometimes, we feel like we’re pushed to the edge with nowhere else to go and we are helpless. But most of us who feel this way come to realize that it’s our faith in the Lord that keeps us going. Like this story shared by Mich, in the book “Living Water.” She wrote:

“I was low in cash. Big expenses piled up the previous weeks, as well as calls to generosity. In Christian jargon, I was in ‘famine’. Coffers were in the red, I went begging… before God. But I wasn’t worried. I knew the Lord would rescue me again. I claimed His promises in Scripture and relied on His Word.

“True enough, things happened. I finally received a check related to some maternity benefit, and it was a sizable amount. Then came my birthday, and three groups of people gave me substantial cash gifts. All in all, it amounted to a five-digit figure.

“A life in Christ means a life of faith, and a life of faith means an abundant life. It means all our needs are met. To live by faith means to live according to God’s Word.”

In my own life there was a time when a relative had a big problem. He was sued by a business rival. I felt intense pain in my heart out of great pity for him. I prayed hard and asked God in His mercy to help my relative “out of the bag” of that great test in his life. I even had to kneel-walk in Santo Nino Church, from the door to the altar. True indeed, God hears our prayers – my relative’s case was dismissed.

I believe that no matter how difficult our circumstances, we will be sustained by our strong and steadfast faith in God. We must trust that at the ‘end of the tunnel’ there’s always a ‘light’ waiting for us.

There’s a story about a man who was clinging to a branch of a tree, almost to fall to ravine below. He shouted, “Lord, help me! Don’t let me fall!” God replied, “Let go of the branch.” The man hesitated and asked, “Why should I?”

Debbie Przybylski of crosswalk.com website writes, “Are you in the dark regarding circumstances in your life? One of the things that we find hardest to handle is the testing of our faith. It calls for too much internal struggle for us to come out on the other side. We want to know the answers. We want to see ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ far in advance. It is just too much of a challenge for us to go through a long testing of our faith and the discipline of darkness, yet God requires this of each of us if we are to grow spiritually.”

Przybyski shares the following perspectives:

• If you are facing fiery trials, you are not alone. God is with you and can give you confidence in the middle of your trials. You are in the loving hands of an archer. He is aiming carefully at something that you cannot see. He is stretching, pulling, and straining you into purposes.

• God releases His blessings in our life and circumstances according to our faith. Matthew 17:20 declares, “If you have faith… nothing will be impossible for you.”