GIFT OF FAITH
07th Oct 2020
One of the greatest gifts the body of Christ needs to day is the ‘gift of faith’. In Luke 18:8 Jesus asks the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
James 5:17 points us back to Elijah, a human like us, “He prayer earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain.” I find myself crying out, as Elisha did, “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?”
Reading through 2 Kings gives me a great desire to see faith released and miracles happening today in our circumstances, so that statements such as “Nothing is too hard for the Lord” will become reality.
Pondering this and crying out for revelation, I found myself walking at a place called “Middle Hope” - a spit of land overlooking the Bristol Channel. As I looked to the right the sky was blue and clear and the sun was shining; from the same spot looking left, dark threatening storm clouds dominated the landscape.
Elijah saw the fire of God ignite the sacrifice, saw Baal’s prophets destroyed, declared to the King that rain was coming and waited in hope and faith for God to act. He kept sending his servant out to look for signs of rain, while he held his ground of faith, as he continued to wait before the Lord.
Possibly this is where many of us are, waiting for particular promises that God has made to be fulfilled. The wait of faith is not easy, and reading Psalm 121 I am encouraged to keep my eyes on the Lord where my help comes from. If I look at what might happen - fear dominates - only by looking to our Lord and Saviour Jesus, our faithful Father, and our present friend and comforter the Holy Spirit, will faith be released and rewarded.
Depending on where you look you can be frozen by fear or moved by hope. Let’s continue looking to the Lord at a national and personal level - He is where our help comes from!
by Joyce Sibthorpe
