Faith ... In GOD

‘And it came to pass that as He was coming nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging … And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried, saying, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried out all the more, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” And he said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” And Jesus said unto him, “Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.’ Luke 18:35-43 

Here we have a man in need of a healing. Yet curiously, a healing was not what he initially cried out for. He asked for mercy – help, sympathy, compassion. He cried, saying, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

He did not just call on Jesus, the one who works miracles. No, he did something greater than this: he acknowledged Jesus as ‘the Son of David’, not the son of Joseph, nor the son of Mary, nor Jesus of Nazareth as he was told. He perceived who Jesus was and his faith was wrapped up in that revelation. He acknowledged Jesus as the Promised One, the Messiah, the Anointed One, The One spoken of by those who went before him and referenced in the book of Isaiah: 

“The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon Me,

because the LORD has anointed Me

to preach good tidings to the poor.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted;

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn …

to give them beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD,

that He may be glorified.”

Isaiah 61:1-3 

Jesus is LORD! And while His doing does flow out of His being, it is a great presence of faith when our confidence can rest in who Jesus is and not solely in what we desire for Him to do for us. 

There is a faith that believes what Jesus said – or that trusts in what Jesus is able to do. However, it is overshadowed by a faith that believes WHO JESUS IS. 

There will always come a day when what you see and experience runs so contrary to what you read in His Word that you will question what you believe. Yet, who you believe will always protect what you believe. 

There are many things that a heart desires, that my heart desires, yet there is an unshakeable peace-giving confidence which surrounds me. It assures me that, if nothing works out the way that I desire, it is still ‘all good’. 

Why? My confidence is in who Christ is and not merely what He can do for me. Again, His doing does automatically flow out of His being. But my confidence is present because I KNOW HIM, because I KNOW HIS CHARACTER, because I KNOW HE CANNOT LIE, because MY FAITH IS IN WHO HE IS. Therefore, I know also that HE IS WORKING. He is  working all together for the good, for my good, just like the Word says in Romans 8:28. 

I can rest … and so can you  

HAVE FAITH IN GOD – not in feelings, not in dreams, not in angels, not in healings, not in blessings or in miracles. Remember that the devil quotes scriptures, demons masquerade as angels of light and the Egyptian magicians performed many of the same wonders that Moses did under the anointing of God.  Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2)

Have Faith in God!