LOOK UNTO THE GIVER OF FAITHSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: Jesus is not only the provider of blessings, but also the giver of faith. One day a man came to Jesus and pleaded for his son's deliverance. He said, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a mute spirit. And whenever it seizes him, he threw him down. He foams at the mouth, knashes his teeth and become rigid. If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us”. Jesus replied: “If you can believe, all things are possible to Him who believes”. Immediately that man responded, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark :9: 23, 24). Yes dear friend, the Lord expects only faith from us, and that is why the Bible describes faith in the following manner.
“The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Hebrews. 10:38)
“If you would believe you would see the glory of God” (John 11:40)
“But without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews. 11:6)
When we are crushed by various trials and temptations, we lose our faith easily. But our Lord Jesus is always willing to remove our unbelief just as He helped the father of the above child. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1). He is the one who gives us faith, for His living Word says:
He sends His faith through His words (Romans 10 :17)
Through the Holy Spirit also He gives us faith as a gift (1 Corinthians. 12:9)
Through the Holy Spirit He fills us with the spirit of faith and helps us to believe Him. (2 Corinthians 4:13)
“I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). This is how Paul the Apostle explained his position to the church of God at Corinth. But the Lord never let him down. He sustained him through his faith.
In our family, my father had the greatest faith. In the year 1981 when we were trying to purchase the building at 16, Greenways Road, Chennai, we paid an advance of Rupees One Lakh to the owner of the property. We tried to get loans from various banks to pay the the balance amount but to no avail. When we reached a stage of utter helplessness, even my father had lost his faith. But the Lord never let us down. He graciously helped us to get a bank loan through a wealthy person, whom we had never met before. This is how He rebuilt our faith.
Even in the year 1986 when we lost our precious daughter Angel in a cruel car accident, our hearts were broken to pieces. On seeing the dead body of my daughter, my wife cried saying that she has lost all her faith. But even in that situation, the Lord didn’t let us down. He comforted us and strengthened us by giving us necessary faith through His almighty Holy Spirit, even without our knowledge.
His very presence gives us the necessary faith. He is the One who always fulfils His promises. As He strengthened me and my family, He will strengthen you also by giving the necessary faith. You shall surely sustain and truly overcome your difficulty with His mighty power.
Prayer:
Loving Lord Jesus,
I praise You for being the Author and Finisher of faith. I beleive that what amount of faith I have today is because of you. If I have failed in that, please forgive me. Please do a miracle in my life and increase my faith. I surely know that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to realize that even today. In Your most unfailing Name I ask this prayer.
Amen. |