07/31/2017
Am I steadfast in my faith? Am I allowing God to work in me that I might be perfected and brought to completion? These are my thoughts for this morning and I invite you to join me in them.
“for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:3-4 ESV
Testing my faith... my first reaction is to tell you that this doesn't happen, that God doesn't test me, but then I look back on what transpired in the McDonald's parking lot when I became angry with a man over a parking spot (my thoughts on 7/26/3017) and suddenly I realize that testing, or challenging my faith does occur. I learn so many lessons regarding the depth of my faith when the waters of my life go from calm to rough, or from rough, to tempest tossed. The things I proclaim in the calm of my church, or prayer chair, take on a new dimension when suddenly put to the test in my life beyond the lighthouse at the mouth of my safe harbor.
A few weeks ago I wrote this for my son and his girlfriend when he sent me a picture of them standing next to a lighthouse in Portland Maine...
Of God and the Eyes of the Sea
By Rich Forbes
If man's eyes are the window to the soul
Then lighthouses are the eyes of the sea
From whence curious men venture
Into the majestic beyond
Then seek safe harbor, sure refuge,
And thee.
We prepare ourselves in faith while we are moored in our safe harbors, but God didn't design us to remain there... we are meant to go out onto the ocean and serve Him in far off places of faith where storms rage, and all is not calm. We are meant to go out and face the challenges to our faith as we bring the goods of the gospel to the world, and then return to port, and sure refuge in Christ, with encouragement for those yet to venture forth.
My father-in-law served in the Navy during WWII, and he would tell of taking his ship on a shake-down voyage prior to going off to sea, and to war. They took their ship onto the Chesapeake bay and steamed about as they perfected their individual jobs, and repaired anything about the ship that wasn't in perfect shape. He tells of the captain ramming the dock at Annapolis Maryland as they practiced and how embarrassing that was, but finally they were ready and the LST they were aboard headed onto the open sea and into storms and battles in the Pacific Ocean.
Our faith is like this. We do what we can in the safety of the harbor; we stock up with provisions and cargo of scripture, then we face a controlled trial before finally sailing past the safety of our lighthouse onto an unpredictable sea. We sail out to deliver the bounty of faith to those who are awaiting its arrival. Our trial is meant to get us ready for what God has intended us to do from the beginning. Then we do that thing, and finally, we return back to the safety that our lighthouse represents, drop anchor once more, and deliver encouragement to other countrymen as they prepare to sail forth themselves.
God uses trial to help us prepare ourselves for the Callings He has for us, but He can't send us forth until we have reached a certain degree of readiness. My question to myself this morning "Am I allowing God to work in me that I might be perfected and brought to completion?" Is a crucial one, and speaks volumes about my spiritual motivation. Am I a willing participant in His plan for me, or still in need of training?
Perhaps, when I answer this question, I will find that I am I ready for the open sea? I am shipshape and prepared for an even more challenging adventure than I have ever taken before... or maybe I find that I am one of the working boats of the harbor who services the tall ships and listens to their tales of encouragement... yet never ventures past the lighthouse. Tall ship or not, I am important nonetheless. Whatever my role is in God's plan, whether a ship, a boat, or a dingy, I must be prepared to do my job for the kingdom, and this involves testing and trials as I am perfected, or repaired.
So when I faced my anger in the local McDonald's parking lot it was a test, a trial, a shake-down voyage. The answer it revealed told me whether I was ready for the next step in preparation, correction, or the great voyage of faith itself. Our Father is not capricious and every challenge we face serves His purpose, and readies us for His use.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the trials in my life. I thank you for each test I face that prepares me, and makes me ready for your Call. I long for the sea Father, and I long to sail past the lighthouse that guides me to and fro into your safe harbor. Jesus said "I am the light of the world" and He is my lighthouse. He leads me in and out of safe harbor. He guides me past the rocks as I sail forth, and He is the light that my eyes seek desperately in the midst of the storm. Holy Father, I thank you for the light that shines from your Son, and I thank you for your lessons and preparation that allow me to sail forth to do your bidding. Keep me safe on my voyage Father, and may the tests I have faced be sufficient in their preparation. Teach me always Lord, that I might serve you in greater ways each day.
Rich Forbes
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."”
John 8:12 ESV