Faith in a far greater power

2 Chronicles 32 finds Judah being invaded by Assyria. King Hezekiah, seeking to encourage the people of Judah, says (2 Chronicles 32:7, NLT),

Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side!

Likewise, we should attempt to view our own trials and tribulations through a similar lens. We should strive for faith in that far greater power of God. And if we feel that we lack that kind of faith, we should pray as the father of the young boy did to Jesus (Mark 9:24, NLT),

I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!

God knows we sometimes struggle with faith. Let's admit that to God, and ask for his help.

Fasting

Has your spiritual growth become stale? Have you tried a spiritual reset (i.e., like this, or this, or this), but nothing seems to work? Well, nothing resets a spiritual life like a good, old-fashioned fast! As written in Joel 2:12 (NLT),

Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Now before you stop reading, realize that fasting need not be dangerous, or even very difficult. The point of fasting is not to place your body in some dire circumstance. Nor is the point to fast just to say you successfully completed a fast. After all, Joel 2:13 (KJV) says,

Rend your heart, and not your garments

which means that being in a right state of spiritual mind is far more important than displays of religiosity, like fasting.

Rather, the point of fasting is to inflict just enough discomfort to provide a constant reminder of God and his blessings. Here are a few tips.

1. Start small. For example, perhaps your "fast" can be skipping lunch.
2. Plan ahead. Mark a day on your calendar for your fast. Consider fasting, say, once every three months as a spiritual reset.
3. Stay busy during your fast, perhaps by fasting on a work day.
4. Keep it to yourself. Recall Matthew 6:16 (NLT): "When you fast, don't make it obvious."
5. Most importantly, pray without ceasing throughout your fast! Again, fasting isn't really about the fast itself. It's about becoming closer to God.

My preferred method of fasting borrows from the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur. After supper, I don't eat again until (approximately) sundown the next day. Now to be fair, I "cheat" a little by drinking water, coffee, and sometimes juice.

As your fast progresses, you might begin to feel weak, but that's part of the point. Keep praying. When your fast finally ends, you'll feel spiritually renewed!

Zophar's advice to Job

Let's turn to Job, one of my favorite books in the Bible. The majority of that book involves lengthy discussions between Job and his friends. A main point of the book, as it see it, is that no one, Job included, seems capable of fully understanding God's eternal design. Of course, that theme also describes our own dealings with God.

Yet each character in the book, despite his incomplete understanding, occasionally offers a worthwhile insight. A particular good one comes from Zophar in chapter 11, verses 13-15 (NLT),

If only you would prepare your heart

and lift up your hands to him in prayer!

Get rid of your sins,

and leave all iniquity behind you.

Then your face will brighten with innocence.

You will be strong and free of fear.

What a simple recipe for spiritual fulfillment! Why do we all struggle to follow this advice! Let us keep Zophar's words in mind today during our prayers.

The famous "Wedding Passage"

As a popular choice at weddings, most people are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13. But unfortunately, familiarity with that passage can sometimes make us numb to its content.

This weekend -- which is a three-day weekend in the U.S.! -- at least once a day before praying, read 1 Corinthians 13 in its entirety. (It's only 13 verses.) And, while reading, ponder Paul's message of how we should live. If we can successfully follow Paul's advice, even some of the time, we can become closer to achieving peace with God.

(Interesting fact: Wedding ceremonies almost never use the King James Version of 1 Corinthians 13, because the KJV translates the Greek word "agape" as "charity" rather than the more-familiar "love" that appears in modern translations.)

Fearing God

Psalm 33:18 (NLT) says,

The LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.

And Psalm 34:7 (NLT) says,

The angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

And there are many, many similar passages in the Bible. Perhaps the most famous appears in Psalm 2:11 (NLT),

Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Repeatedly, we're told to "fear" God, which might sound uncomfortable to modern readers. Should we really "fear" God? After all, doesn't Psalm 34:4 (NLT) read,

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

Well, yes, we better fear God. As stated in Psalm 144:3-4 (NLT),

O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them,

mere mortals that you should think about them?

For they are like a breath of air;

their days are like a passing shadow.

Consider a being power enough to create the immensity of the universe. Such a powerful entity clearly doesn't need us and our rebellious, disobedient attitudes. Why doesn't God simply get rid of us? He certainly has the power to do so, and we should stand in fear at the very existence of that power. And, furthermore, we should be thankful that he doesn't exercise that power. 

Just waking up in the morning is a sign of God's patient mercy. Stand in fear, but let it be a form of thankful fear.

Nehemiah prays

The first chapters of Nehemiah tell of the Jews rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem following their return from Babylonian captivity. In chapter 4, a local Samaritan mocks the rebuilding effort, saying (Nehemiah 4:2, NLT),

Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices?

Nehemiah responds with a short prayer that begins (Nehemiah 4:4, NLT),

Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked.

And the rebuilding effort continues to completion.

When we feel our faith being tested, perhaps even mocked, by the ways of this world, turn to the sacrifice of prayer. It worked for Nehemiah, and it can work for us!

Seek God continually

Returning to posting after the holiday season, let us turn to 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT) for a useful piece of guidance for the new year:

Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him.

This verse emphasizes that our faith should be "active." That is, rather than sitting back and waiting for spiritual revelations, let us begin this year by actively, and continually, seeking God.

To be sure, that word "continual" is intimidating. But note that "continual" is not the same as "continuous." Continuous actions are completely ongoing and uninterrupted. I'm guessing that continuous prayer, although certainly desirable, is probably not possible for the human brain. (At least, not mine!)

But the word continual is essentially a more intense version of the word frequent. For example, as humans we do not continuously eat, but we do continually eat.

So in this new year, let us aim for a continual relationship with God. Let us continually seek his spiritual food. A good way is to start a Bible reading plan, and stick with it!