{"id":35837,"date":"2023-10-14T03:30:29","date_gmt":"2023-10-14T10:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=35837"},"modified":"2023-10-13T08:07:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T15:07:22","slug":"october-14-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2023\/10\/14\/october-14-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"October 14, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

A Tested Faith<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cBut now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!\u201d<\/em> Job 1:11<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Let\u2019s be honest. Sometimes we just feel like Job. Our trials seem so severe, our losses so grievous, the words of our loved ones so painful, that we fear we must have somehow been put on God\u2019s naughty list.<\/p>\n

Haven\u2019t we repented of our sins and received His forgiveness? Haven\u2019t we trusted in Him? Haven\u2019t we given our lives to serving Him? Haven\u2019t we lived in love and grace toward others? Haven\u2019t we testified of His greatness?<\/p>\n

Author Randy Alcorn has said, “If you base your faith on lack of affliction, your faith lives on the brink of extinction and will fall apart because of a frightening diagnosis or a shattering phone call. Token faith will not survive suffering, nor should it.”<\/p>\n

Token faith. Just a bit of faith. Not enough to make me a fanatic. Not enough to be accused of being so heavenly minded that I am no earthly good. Not enough to be called \u201creligious\u201d or \u201cspiritual.\u201d Just enough faith to get me to church on Sundays, to sing the songs, to give an offering, to say grace before meals (except in a restaurant.)<\/p>\n

Token faith believes God\u2026 except maybe not in this circumstance. Token faith worships on Sunday\u2026 but not the other six days of the week. Token faith reads the Bible at church\u2026 but not daily, not at home. Token faith does not move mountains, walk on water, cast out demons, heal the sick, or preach deliverance to the captives.<\/p>\n

Pastor and author Adrian Rogers said, \u201cA faith that can\u2019t be tested is a faith that can\u2019t be trusted.\u201d When Jesus and His disciples were in the boat on the stormy waters that crashed over their little vessel, threatening to swamp and sink them, what was the purpose? What was the lesson? Yes, that they should have trusted Him more. But He also wanted them to know FOR THEMSELVES whether they believed what they claimed to believe.<\/p>\n

This was true for Job, too. He believed in God. He was blameless and shunned evil (Job 1:8). But his faith hadn\u2019t been tested until Satan threw every flaming arrow at him that he could devise (with God\u2019s permission, of course). When the end of the afflictions had come, Job said, \u201cI have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You\u201d<\/em> (Job 42:5). Notice that he said this BEFORE God restored his losses. He said it when he realized once and for all that God is sovereign, and he repented of presuming what would be considered \u201cfair and just\u201d treatment.<\/p>\n

Lord, forgive me for presuming that You owe me a life of ease. Go ahead and try my faith, and thereby strengthen me. Show me the truth about myself, that I may repent. As Job said, \u201cI know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.\u201d You have Your reasons for all that You plan or permit. So be it. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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