Post by Betty on Aug 29, 2005 4:52:37 GMT -5
Title: Firm in Faith
Author: Woodrow Kroll
Devotion: Woodrow Kroll
Scripture References:
Mark 16:1-20
Title: Firm in Faith
And very early in the morning the first day of
the week they came unto the sepulchre at the
rising of the sun.
Faith is not always a champion which marches
alone. Sometimes faith is accompanied by fear.
Faith is not the absence of questioning; it is
the presence of action in the midst of those
questions. Faith does not provide all the
answers; it provides a basis for confidence in
the midst of unreasonable circumstances.
We do not fully understand how God takes oxygen
and hydrogen, both of them odorless, tasteless,
and colorless, and combines them with carbon,
which is insoluble, black, and tasteless, to
produce a beautiful, white, sweet substance we
call sugar. Although we do not have all the
answers as to how God accomplishes this, in the
midst of our circumstances we accept God's
product on faith. Real faith is "the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting God when
you cannot see through the fog.
It was early Easter Sunday morning when Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
set out on a mission of faith. These women had
covenanted among themselves to purchase spices
that were needed to embalm the body of Jesus.
They could not do so until after dusk on
Saturday. So when the Sabbath was passed, the
women purchased the sweet spices that they might
come to the tomb of Joseph and there make the
body of the Lord Jesus ready for burial.
It was very early in the morning the first day of
the week that they came to the sepulcher, at the
rising of the sun (Mark 16:2). With the spices
that they had purchased the previous evening in
hand, the women made their way through the dark
streets of Jerusalem just before the sunrise of
Sunday morning. As they approached the garden in
which the tomb was located, they chattered among
themselves, questioning how they would gain
access to the tomb. Here is a grand example of
faith amid questions. The women could not
themselves roll away the stone, for it was simply
too cumbersome to do so. Yet they did not stay at
home and attend a seminar on stone-rolling, argue
the pros and cons of gaining entrance to the
tomb, or form a committee to study the problem.
In the midst of their concerns about how they
would gain entrance to the tomb, they steadily
progressed toward the tomb in faith. Faith is not
the absence of questions; it is the presence of
action amidst those questions.
Once an ocean liner was engulfed in a dense fog
off the coast of Newfoundland. It was Wednesday
evening and the captain had been on the bridge
for more than 24 hours, when he was startled by
someone tapping him on the shoulder. As he
turned, he saw the great man of prayer and faith,
George Mueller. The concerned Mueller stated,
"Captain, I must be in Quebec on Saturday
afternoon." Expressing his dismay, the captain
replied, "That's impossible!" The fog was so
dense and the progress of the ship so slow that
the captain knew they would never make it to
shore on time. He mumbled, "I'm helpless!" Being
a man of faith, George Mueller suggested, "Let's
go down to the chart room and pray." The captain,
who could see only his circumstances, replied,
"Do you know how dense the fog is?"
"No," Mueller said, "My eye is not on the density
of the fog, but on the living God who controls
every circumstance of my life." The captain and
Mueller left the bridge and went below where
Mueller fell to his knees and prayed. Within a
matter of minutes the fog lifted, the ocean liner
progressed rapidly, and Mueller was in Quebec
before Saturday.
If we are to live a life of faith, we must get
our eyes off the stone before the tomb and on the
God who does the impossible. The women knew the
stone would keep them from their Lord, and yet
they purchased their spices, readied themselves
early in the morning, and made their way in the
darkness toward the garden tomb. Faith is not
being free from questions; faith is being firm in
commitment to the power of God. How will you
demonstrate your faith today?
MORNING HYMN
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm and changeless be
A living fire!
_______________________________________
Author: Woodrow Kroll
Devotion: Woodrow Kroll
Scripture References:
Mark 16:1-20
Title: Firm in Faith
And very early in the morning the first day of
the week they came unto the sepulchre at the
rising of the sun.
Faith is not always a champion which marches
alone. Sometimes faith is accompanied by fear.
Faith is not the absence of questioning; it is
the presence of action in the midst of those
questions. Faith does not provide all the
answers; it provides a basis for confidence in
the midst of unreasonable circumstances.
We do not fully understand how God takes oxygen
and hydrogen, both of them odorless, tasteless,
and colorless, and combines them with carbon,
which is insoluble, black, and tasteless, to
produce a beautiful, white, sweet substance we
call sugar. Although we do not have all the
answers as to how God accomplishes this, in the
midst of our circumstances we accept God's
product on faith. Real faith is "the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting God when
you cannot see through the fog.
It was early Easter Sunday morning when Mary
Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
set out on a mission of faith. These women had
covenanted among themselves to purchase spices
that were needed to embalm the body of Jesus.
They could not do so until after dusk on
Saturday. So when the Sabbath was passed, the
women purchased the sweet spices that they might
come to the tomb of Joseph and there make the
body of the Lord Jesus ready for burial.
It was very early in the morning the first day of
the week that they came to the sepulcher, at the
rising of the sun (Mark 16:2). With the spices
that they had purchased the previous evening in
hand, the women made their way through the dark
streets of Jerusalem just before the sunrise of
Sunday morning. As they approached the garden in
which the tomb was located, they chattered among
themselves, questioning how they would gain
access to the tomb. Here is a grand example of
faith amid questions. The women could not
themselves roll away the stone, for it was simply
too cumbersome to do so. Yet they did not stay at
home and attend a seminar on stone-rolling, argue
the pros and cons of gaining entrance to the
tomb, or form a committee to study the problem.
In the midst of their concerns about how they
would gain entrance to the tomb, they steadily
progressed toward the tomb in faith. Faith is not
the absence of questions; it is the presence of
action amidst those questions.
Once an ocean liner was engulfed in a dense fog
off the coast of Newfoundland. It was Wednesday
evening and the captain had been on the bridge
for more than 24 hours, when he was startled by
someone tapping him on the shoulder. As he
turned, he saw the great man of prayer and faith,
George Mueller. The concerned Mueller stated,
"Captain, I must be in Quebec on Saturday
afternoon." Expressing his dismay, the captain
replied, "That's impossible!" The fog was so
dense and the progress of the ship so slow that
the captain knew they would never make it to
shore on time. He mumbled, "I'm helpless!" Being
a man of faith, George Mueller suggested, "Let's
go down to the chart room and pray." The captain,
who could see only his circumstances, replied,
"Do you know how dense the fog is?"
"No," Mueller said, "My eye is not on the density
of the fog, but on the living God who controls
every circumstance of my life." The captain and
Mueller left the bridge and went below where
Mueller fell to his knees and prayed. Within a
matter of minutes the fog lifted, the ocean liner
progressed rapidly, and Mueller was in Quebec
before Saturday.
If we are to live a life of faith, we must get
our eyes off the stone before the tomb and on the
God who does the impossible. The women knew the
stone would keep them from their Lord, and yet
they purchased their spices, readied themselves
early in the morning, and made their way in the
darkness toward the garden tomb. Faith is not
being free from questions; faith is being firm in
commitment to the power of God. How will you
demonstrate your faith today?
MORNING HYMN
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm and changeless be
A living fire!
_______________________________________
