GOD’S WORD FOR JULY 14

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is  Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

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NO ONE MORE TRUSTWORTHY

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

D.L. MOODY

This is the Biblical definition of faith.  The best definition I ever saw outside the Bible is: “Dependence on the veracity of another.”   In other words, Faith says “amen” to everything that God says.  Faith takes God without any “If’s.”  If God says it, Faith says, “I believe it,”  Faith says “Amen” to it.

ERWIN LUTZER

Virtually every test we encounter in the Christian life comes down to two questions.  First:  “Is God trustworthy?”  The second question is:  “Will I sincerely trust Him?”  Our temptation is to trust ourselves rather than God.  We tell ourselves that sinning is preferable to obedience;  we tell ourselves that God will not help us so we have to bear our own burdens.  Everything comes down to a matter of trust.  Let’s face it:  there are very few events we are able to control.  God has our future in His hands, we don’t.  Can we trust Him?

Abraham was told by God that he would not only receive the land, it would be his and his offspring’s forever.  Abraham and Sarah were already beyond the point to bear a child and so they were driven by this question:  “How is God going to do it?”  Abraham wavers; he can’t wait for the child of promise.  So, he has a child by their Egyptian servant  named Hagar – which had devastating consequences for 4,000 years (Genesis 16:1-6). 

Yet despite those lapses in faith, we read that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3).  Ultimately, Abraham was absolutely convinced that whatever God said,  God could perform.  Sometimes we have to believe even though we don’t know how God is going to do it.

PRAYER

Father, thank You that You keep Your covenants and are faithful when I am  not.  When  my faith wavers, please uphold me.

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Galatians 5:6

    For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

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    1 Timothy 6:11

    But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

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    Habakkuk 2:4

    Behold the proud,

    His soul is not upright in him;

    But the just shall live by his faith.

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    Mark 10:52

    Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

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    1 Timothy 5:8

    But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

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Matthew 17:20

    So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

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Galatians 3:22

    But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

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