The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
What would compel a person to navigate a large truck through treacherous road conditions, heavy rain and strong wind to retrieve something of importance?
Faith.
This is exactly what our previous Publisher did back in 2017, on the Monday morning after Harvey made its initial landfall and began slowly moving up the Texas coast.
When it was confirmed that our newspapers were indeed ready for pickup at our press in Rosenberg, our publisher studied the current road conditions, picked out the best route and went after them.
Now this is a wonderful example of faith working for us.
See, faith is simply our positive response to what God has already provided for us by His grace.
Grace alone will not guarantee that we will see the promises of God manifested in our own lives.
And faith just by itself is not going to move God.
God already moved over 2,000 years ago through the atonement of His Son Jesus.
But mix the two together, “we are saved by grace through faith,” and we can receive all that God has already provided by His grace.
The paper had gone to press, bundled and was waiting on the loading dock for pick-up. Once our publisher knew this for sure, through a reliable/trusted source, that our papers were ready then he acted on this information.
His action alone to go after the papers did not make our press run, after all, several things could have hindered that process. The power might have failed, the press could have broken down, people may not have been able to make it to work, etc.
But again, once he knew for sure they were ready, because he trusted the word of the source, then he made the choice to go after them.
Now praise God he made it there safely and back again but it was not easy! And by his own account, “very scary at times.” As he witnessed first hand the flooded fields and swollen creeks and rivers, doubt must have crept in and I would guess that he was tempted to turn back at times, but he was determined. He stated that several times when he came to a flooded road, he would have to find a way to turn the box truck around and find another route. But he was determined, because he trusted the word given to him.
When you read the word of God, believe His promises, understand that it is His will for us to be healed and to prosper and to have joyfulness and peace, then you will act on it! You will go after it no matter what the circumstances look like, or what others may say.
Faith is an action word.
But again, our faith is not what moves God, but we will respond by faith when we know God has already made provision before there ever was a need. Before we were born He knew what each one of us would need for today.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Eph. 1:3
God is not running around making a tree for us to sit under, or constantly pumping oxygen into the atmosphere so we can breathe. (Just like you don’t have to constantly remember to take a breath, you just breathe.)
And against any stormy condition, a negative world, the criticism of others, the pain in your body, the bills stacking up, broken relationships, your own doubts, you can learn to look instead on the promises of God, and take what our faithful, loving Father God has already provided by grace.
But this is important, faith alone will get you stuck in a ditch, getting a thousand people to pray for you in hopes that God will see the gravity of the situation and act on it. (When the truth is, He already has. A lot of people have been offended and turned away from God because they are storming the gates of heaven trying to make God move, or they are begging and pleading for His intervention.)
While grace alone will put you on the other side of the ditch, just waiting for the papers’ to be delivered at your door. A passive, “Que Sera, Sera” approach. “Well, it’s just up to God to heal me, if and when He’s ready. I’m just waiting to see what He chooses for me.” There are so many verses countering this false doctrine, too many to list here.
There is a balance of grace and faith. Grace is His provision, faith is our positive response.
We don’t have to work for God’s approval or goodness either.
But the knowledge/revelation that God is good will compel/activate your faith to enter in and receive a loving relationship, and His word gives us wisdom on how to receive His provision and peaceful rest.
I am learning that by eliminating doubt, (anything contrary to God’s word), my tiny mustard size see of faith is more than enough to drive me to “press” in and go after His promises. And no matter how high the water rises, or collapsing roadways, I can rest because I am living in a state of grace.
P.S, You know, God went to retrieve something of extreme importance to Him. Mankind! That’s why He sent His Son to buy back that which was lost.
(John 10:10, Heb. 11:1, 2 Cor. 1:20, Gal. 5:6)
Contact Brenda Groves at: ads@alvinsun.net
