Saturday, May 4, 2013

Streams In the Desert-May 1st

Since January, I've been reading a daily devotional called Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman and edited by Jim Reimann. It's been amazing how much it hits home and teaches me every day. This one seemed exceptionally good to me, so I decided to post it.

May 1
"God, who does not lie, promised."  (Titus 1:2)

Faith is not conjuring, up through an act of your will, a sense of certainty that something good is going to happen. No, it is recognizing God's promise as an actual fact, believing it is true, rejoicing in the knowledge of that truth, and then simply resting because God said it. 
Faith turns a promise into a prophecy. A promise is contingent upon our cooperation, but when we exercise genuine faith in it, it becomes a prophecy. Then we can move ahead with certainty that it will come to pass, because "God...does not lie." from Days of Heaven upon Earth
I often hear people praying for more faith, but when I listen carefully to them and get to the essence of their  prayer, I realize it is not more faith they are wanting at all. What they are wanting is their faith to be changed to sight. 
Faith does not say, "I see this is good for me; therefore God must have sent it." Instead, faith declares, "God sent it; therefore it must be good for me." 
Faith, when walking through the dark with God, only asks Him to hold his hand more tightly. Phillips Brooks

The Shepherd does not ask of thee
Faith in your faith, but only faith in Him;
And this He meant in saying, "Come to me." 
In light or darkness seek to do His will,
And leave the work of faith to Jesus still.