Super-size my faith
So, the study and discussion on "The Giant Side of Faith" has triggered some good questions and thoughts in worship and in our home study groups. Last night I get thinking about the phrase "Increase my faith." I wondered, "If a mustard seed faith can accomplish great things, then what can a "Giant Faith" produce? A couple of verses came to mind.
Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
Mark 9:23-24: And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Also, in our discussion group, we looked at several biblical characters who had giant faith. Elijah, Noah, Abraham, Ruth, Jeremiah. Not all of them received the promise of their faith, although they received spiritual benefit from their trust in God. Which leads me to ask "How do we know our faith is Giant?" And, "How do we know our faith is effective?" I'm still working on these questions.
A great comment about Goliath, David's giant foe, was made: Goliath had a Giant Faith as well, but he was destroyed because he trusted in himself.
Our faith is only as good as the person or thing that we trust in.
Which leads me to the ultimate question: If God is great, mighty, huge (insert your own enormous adjective hear), then how can we develop and grow a faith worthy of our God? The first thing (and only thing) I know to do right now is to pray the scripture: Father, increase my faith! Help my lack of faith!
Luke 17:5-6 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
Mark 9:23-24: And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Also, in our discussion group, we looked at several biblical characters who had giant faith. Elijah, Noah, Abraham, Ruth, Jeremiah. Not all of them received the promise of their faith, although they received spiritual benefit from their trust in God. Which leads me to ask "How do we know our faith is Giant?" And, "How do we know our faith is effective?" I'm still working on these questions.
A great comment about Goliath, David's giant foe, was made: Goliath had a Giant Faith as well, but he was destroyed because he trusted in himself.
Our faith is only as good as the person or thing that we trust in.
Which leads me to the ultimate question: If God is great, mighty, huge (insert your own enormous adjective hear), then how can we develop and grow a faith worthy of our God? The first thing (and only thing) I know to do right now is to pray the scripture: Father, increase my faith! Help my lack of faith!
Labels: faith
posted by Randy Rogers at
8:47 AM
2 Comments:
Randy
I wonder how Job's faith works out in this context. Do you think that his is an example of growing faith?
Robert
I think Job's faith is a growing faith. His situation seems unique in comparison to Abraham's because Job is suffering a trial, where Abraham seems to be acting in obedience. Granted, we do not know if Abraham's relocation project was difficult, and there were some trials and suufering along the way. But Abraham increased in wealth as he moved. Job's story is one of total devastation, which was eventually made right.
The growth of Job's faith is marked in Job 42, where Job acknowledges that through the difficult trial he had gone from knowing about God to knowing God in experience (Job 42:1-5).
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