Great Faith
Today’s Verse:
Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, ~Isaiah 45:3
The book of Deuteronomy consists of the last sermons and final words of Moses to Israel. Moses was in the final year of his life. God told him he would not enter into the Promised Land. So, Moses was preparing them for this great endeavor. As we read Deuteronomy 9:1, God was telling Israel to exercise great faith! Great faith is what differentiates a successful Christian from a status-quo Christian. It is faith that accomplishes what God wants in God’s way. When God told them to “pass over Jordan this day,” He was moving them to exercise great faith. Let’s see what great faith is.
There is the priority of great faith.
“Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven.” Great faith is faith that accomplishes God’s perfect will. It is faith that pleases God. It is the only kind of faith the Bible speaks of. God despises little faith. Lacking faith is a sin! Great faith believes the incredible, sees the invisible, and does the impossible.
There is the pressure in great faith.
God was commanding Israel to do something they lacked in strength and size to do! The task commanded them to “go in and possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak”! That’s a lot of pressure! Great faith takes us way out of our comfort zone. Great faith will cause us to break a sweat. Great faith is when we realize we can’t do it in our power, but with God’s power it can be done!
There is the process in great faith.
“Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.” Great faith is when we realize God is the one who makes a way, supplies our power, consumes our enemies, and overthrows all obstacles. No body of water can stand in God’s way! No mass of people can interrupt God’s plan! Great faith is when we let God work through us. Let God arise and his enemies be scattered!
There is the prevention in great faith.
“Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.” When we exercise great faith, we are reminded to be cautious and not presume that we contributed to the accomplishment’s success. We must be soberly mindful that it was God enabled us, and not we ourselves. Be careful that you never take credit for the work that God does through you.
There is the promptness in great faith.
“Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day.” Great faith is to be exercised today! Great faith is to be exercised now! There is to be no hesitation, procrastination, or delay on our part. When God says go, we are to go!
Does God have your attention this morning to exercise great faith? Let go of your past, your paranoia’s, and personality quirks. Pass over your Jordan this day!
Have a faith-empowered God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Thessalonians 1-5