08/27/2019
If we lose our faith in God then we most certainly will lose it in His Son Jesus. When we lose confidence in God’s ability to provide for us, or save us in times of trouble, then how can we say that we believe in the Son who’s strength and power comes from Him? Our eternal life, and everyday blessings come from the Father, and we stone His heart with the hardness of our disbelief.
“And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?”
Numbers 14:11 ESV
I had a Huffy bicycle when I was a boy; it had fat whitewall tires, was painted a lime green, and only had one gear. I loved my bike, and rode it everywhere I went. I would take trading cards and clip them onto the frame with clothes pins so that they stuck into the spokes, and by doing this they would make the sound of a motorcycle when the wheels went around... this was pretty cool, and I would stand up on the pedals as I rode so that I could pedal as fast as I could, and increase the sound... it was pure joy. Then one day a group of boys came by on their new bicycles with skinny racing tires, fancy paint jobs, and either ten, or three gears... that we called speeds. They laughed at my Huffy, and made fun of the cards in the spokes. I struck back by defending my bike, but in the days following I hardly ever rode it. I had allowed them to take the joy from me.
“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”
1 Peter 3:15-16 ESV
I used to explore the woods and streams around my home in those younger days, and would ride my old Huffy as I did, it would go anywhere I wanted it to, but now because of my embarrassment, I walked, and I could only go a short distance in a day. My world had changed... all because I had lost the love I once had for my bike.
Then one day it dawned on me that the only place those fancy bicycles with the skinny tires, and no fenders or chain guard, could go was on the street, and that if it rained, muddy water would be thrown up from their tires and chain, and leave the riders soaked. Those boys with the speedy bicycles built for streets, and racing, couldn’t do the things I loved to do, and they couldn’t ride them to church or school on rainy days. So I went to the carport, and retrieved my old friend. I washed him off, worked on the rusty chain with oil until it was clean, no longer stiff, and performed smoothly again, then I pumped up the old fat tires that now had some small cracks in them from dry rot. Finally, as I was remembering the days gone by, I retrieved some baseball trading cards from a box under my bed, and clipped them onto the frame... I was once again in heaven!
“So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.”
2 Chronicles 24:13 ESV
A few days later the boys rode by me on the street as we were all heading to school, and laughed, but as quickly as they had jetted past me I turned and rode my bicycle across a large field and through the puddles on the street leading up to the school where I was sitting in my seat in class when a couple of them came through the door. I had beaten them to school on the old bike they had made fun of, and I was perfectly dry with no dirty stain up the middle of my back, nor down the front of my shirt.
This has been a story that relates, in a roundabout way, to our faith; it speaks of how we are tempted to abandon God when challenged, or made to believe He is less than He is by the enticement of a modern world. It is a story that teaches us that God is steadfast, and takes us places that no one, or nothing else, can. It shows us that God is life... not a limited life, but full, and able to take us to places of awe, where we witness Him in amazement... He protects us in the rains, and shows us the wonders of trees, winding dirt paths, and rushing rivers. He stands waiting while we discover in detail His creation, and swim in the purity of His clear waters.
“Therefore thus says the Lord: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”
Jeremiah 15:19 ESV
So, are we ready to take a fresh look at our faith, and experience the timelessness of it? Have we allowed the modern world to take away the absolute joy of God’s love and replace His Word with a cheap substitute? Look back at what has been taken from you, and reevaluate the faith that you might have lost to the ruse of false promises.
As for my old bicycle... Well, I rode that Huffy bike every day for many years until I finally reached the age when I was introduced to girls, and began to drive a car, but that is a different story of our faith... for yet another day.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your steadfast love for us, and for your forgiveness, and patience when the world attempts to draw down our faith. Thank you for taking us into your arms, and showing us the wonder and awe that is your creation... and you. Thank you for your Son Jesus who strengthens us in faith, and cleanses us by His blood... a blood that withstands the test of time, and eternity. Thank you for the prophets, and the disciples that make what was ancient into a sound that is recognizable to the hearing of your children today. Teach us to stand on your Word by faith, and search for you with all of our strength. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who ushers us into Himself, and never grows old or outdated. Great are you who is eternal, and forever relevant, and help us Lord to remain certain of your promises, and your love, that redeems us, and provides for us always. Steadfast is your patience that awaits our arrival, and then our return should we wander. Your mercy and grace abound, and in them you receive all glory. Help us to maintain an unwavering strength of faith Father so that we will not cause you pain, disappointment, or heartbreak. Help us to see the fat tires of your love with eyes that recognize their utility, and see them boldly as the vehicle of your will now, and forevermore.
“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
Hebrews 10:35-39 ESV
Rich Forbes