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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue 753 March 12, 2003 - Does faith matter? The world is full of people who will tell you that that they don't "believe in" or need faith. In fact I heard two fellows having that very discussion at a coffee shop the other morning. I didn't hear the whole conversation because I was just picking up something to go and overhead them as I stood in line. I just heard enough to pick up the gist of the conversation. One of the men said, "Who needs faith? I've lived my whole life without it." His friend replied with a sarcastic "Amen!" I was of the impression that they were making fun of a mutual friend or acquaintance. I wanted to (but didn't) ask how they were managing to sit or drink their coffee. The chairs hold them up, but only their faith in that fact allowed them to sit. If they didn't have faith in the chair's safety they never would have sat down. They had faith that the coffee cup wouldn't suddenly break and pour scalding liquid on them; otherwise they never would have picked those cups up. We have faith that we're going to be alive in the morning or we would never set our alarms. We have faith that we're going to be alive for the evening meal or we wouldn't plan the menu. Whether we recognize it or not, we all have faith in something. We simply couldn't function without it. Even the most ardent atheist has faith. His faith is in the fact that he's right in his position and that there is no God. Faith is critical, without it our lives would fall apart. Even more critical though is where you place your faith. If all your faith is in personal relationships, you are going to get burned at times because people and circumstances change and you will eventually get hurt. If all your faith is in your wealth, you'll worry about the value of your investments and while you can be wise and diligent about your investment choices you could lose it all. If your faith is in science you’ll be shaken as new discoveries throw out old "facts". If your faith is in your own wisdom and abilities, you'll be destroyed if something happens to take them away. When all my faith was in my abilities and I suffered my brain injury, my whole world collapsed. Only coming to faith in Christ sustained me. There is only one unchanging place to put our faith, in Christ. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you.' " Exodus 3:14 NIV You may not understand all you are going through in life, but if your faith is in God, you know that He will bring you through it. Faith matters. Faith in God matters more. Faith in Christ matters for all of eternity. Until next time, may your faith in Christ be multiplied. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are a recipient of God's mercy. What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? Romans 9:23-24 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. What is it that you have faith in? Will it sustain you through whatever you face for all eternity? If not, look to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and put your faith in the unchanging eternal God over all things. If you want to know how that's possible simply email us and we'll send you some Bible verses that will explain it to you You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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