Without Faith.
The conversation began around 11:30pm.
And it ended around 4:15am.
Late Sunday night, I was sharing with my wife how for the past few weeks, something rather unusual has been going on inside me. While I could not adequately describe to her what it was, I told her that it felt like it was a combination of extreme restlessness and interestingly enough, a sense of peace.
And then, after hours of emotional rambling, I said these words to my wife:
“I feel like I have gone as far as I can possibly go…without faith.”
I sincerely believe that where many of us are in life today is not actually a testament of our faith in God, but rather a testament of our individual skills and talents. And there (for many of us) lies the problem.
As believers, we tend to exercise our faith only in areas that we have seen God move before.
But when it comes to the unknown, our faith remains still.
Which as Hebrews 11:6 indicates, is not faith at all.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Sometimes I wonder if we find more security in knowing who we are or have been in times past, than we do in believing who God is. As we enter this final stretch of the year, many of us have come to the end of some rather long roads in our lives that now require faith to move forward.
The skills and talents we so heavily relied on in the past can no longer move us forward.
Neither can the resumes (and perhaps associations) we worked so hard to build.
What lies before many of us now is a faith in the impossible.
A faith that fosters a sense of restlessness, yet at the same time, a sense of peace.
May you and I lean hard into that peace today.
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Category: Life & Faith
could’nt have said it better
A great reflection brother Milan, and I will stand in agreement with you today in “Faith”; that we all may discover that sense of “Divine Peace”!
Get out of my house!!! errr…ummm….Home Office!!!!!
Faith in God becomes difficult when we limit Him to our “religious ideas”. By that I mean, we have allowed so called church leaders to define our universe and then declare everything outside of those boundaries to be heresy. There is nothing in existence that God did not create for His pleasure and when we write off things as not being of God in nature we limit Him and by default ourselves. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Faith in God requires believing that He is more than I can ever imagine and that everyday I, as an individual, can prove what His good, acceptable and perfect will is for my life as I humble myself before Him. We’re too caught up on defining what is and is not sin when the Word tells us that all unrighteousness is sin and anything done outside of faith is sin as well. I believe life would be easier if we stop looking for the boundaries of selfishness and sold out to the LORD of All as Christ did and say, “Not my will, but Thou be done.”
Keep saying and writing what God is revealing to you for the TRUTH needs to be heard, let those who have ears hear the word of the LORD.
Your rambling describes the way my life has been in the past year or so so precisely that it brought me to tears. My long used resumes ( that I constantly tweek ) with all my skills and talents can’t seem to even land me a good job interview anymore. Deep down inside I know I have to use my faith in GOD, but where I am at today unemployed, nearly homeless, and discouraged it gets hard sometimes. But I know that if anybody can help me it is GOD because regardless of the long desert place that I find myself in, it is only HIM that can bring me out.
Still leaning and lying at JESUS’S feet
Pat
O…M…G! If you did not hit the nail on the head!!!! This is exactly where I am, frustrated because something “I worked sooooo hard for” was snatched right from under me. Something that seemed outwardly obvious and inwardly deserving to me was taken right before my eyes…and they were open! The fact that I did not get a promotion on my job has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to deal with not only because of the obvious but to be extremely honest, its been hard for me because I couldn’t deal with the fact that it JUST WAS NOT RIGHT! (according to how the world’s system works). [thats something else sometimes we feel we have been wronged but according to who’s right?) I was not operating in faith at all and to be quite frank, if continued down the road with the promotion, I’m not sure I would have operated in faith in the future in regards to the job; afterall I have worked my way through blood sweat and tears, right? (Wrong) I began with my company COMPLETELY IN FAITH…God really opened a door for me larger than I expected …so its “a bit” traumatic, the fact that I so easily slipped out of faith and into my own strength. Its funny, I’ve been racking my brain and piecing together reasons as to why I am experiencing this but reading this post completed the puzzle. Wow just when you thought you knew everything huh. Thank you God. Now I will repent for what He has shown me. Thank you Milan for your ministry!
this pretty much explains how i feel sometimes. the first thing i do is try things with my own might and intellect, then when my back is against the wall, then i reach out to faith. thanks for the reminder!
What’s weird is that confessed words of a respected leader are sometimes viewed as words of weakness instead of meekness. I believe this is a testament to modern day meekness. Sadly, I’m guilty of the exact same behaviour. Fellow brothers and sisters, please forgive me for setting a bad Christian example.
Milan, thanks for bringing it home again. Keep posting; you’re helping to deliver more people than the ones posting.
thanks Brent – i really appreciate that man!
**BOOM** That’s the sound of me hitting the desk, after you punched me in the face.
Thank you!
As soon as we give up and with tears in our eyes declare, “God, I don’t know what else to do.” He steps in. Then, healing, that job, that wayward child, or whatever it is, miraculously falls into place. Funny that within a short time of each deliverance we go right back to ‘I’ll do it myself’ mentality. Thank you today for this word. Everything should be brought to Him. Worrying is a sin.
Wow. That realy blessed me. Thanks so much.
3 days ago I woke up with that scripture on my heart, he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. I believe God is taking us our of the box, I feel like I have worked my faith to the last drop and feel the weakest Ive ever felt in God. I believe he is bring us to the end of a thing! Where I am weak he is strong! I believe God is about to give us his faith the faith of God that will never fail!
After laying before him for most of the night, I found my passion for writing again, there had been a block for 5 years. Then I read your devotional and was led to this Blog! God is speaking, leading and guiding. We have to exhaust our faith and then surrender completely to the leading of the Holy Spirit! Thank you Man of God, for you are Spirit Led!
May God bless you and your family!
Milan, thanks for the reminder. I have been in the place, more than once, where God’s help is nice but not absolutely necessary. It is so easy to slip into independence and forget who gave us the gift in the first place. Lord, please forgive us for the times we have done your work without your power, and stolen your glory. Milan, you were a prophet and a shepherd today. Grace and peace.
It’s not easy – I should know – you have to be willing to get out of your comfort-zone and put your hope in the unseen. It goes against every ‘earthly’ principal – but that is what you want. Spiritual laws \ principals are 180 degrees opposite to what the world would say is good sense. I just started a blog today that may be of interest to you. I welcome you to take a look at it when time permits. I know you will be given the direction and discernment that you are yearning for – because he is faithful and it will arrive – right-on-time! God Bless you!
PS- http://yourverygreatreward.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-is-that-first-step-hardest.html
Thank you. I mean all of you. It really helps seeing other share and knowing we are not alone. Thank you Milan for sharing, I feel like I have been in a spiritual transition over the past 6 months, struggling with what God is calling me to do and what the fleshing is telling me I can not do. Your words have encouraged me to step into what God has for me and quit looking at my inabilities.
God Bless all of you,
Love Kim
Thats right son …. Thats right
Thank you for such a deep perspective that holds truth in every word. For years I didn’t understand why my life held so many pitfalls until I found Jesus Christ and accepted him as my Lord and Savior. I always believed in God Almighty and thought that was enough and I thought that I was tough enough to take of myself in this life, boy was I ever WRONG! Through all of the trials and tribulations that I’ve already gone through my waking moment was when I realized that it was Jesus who had actually carried my load and I needed to give praise were praise was due. I can relate to some of the writings of the readers very well, thinking that a polished resume was going to get me the TOP NOTCH job I deserved and the glass ceiling wouldn’t get in my way, well the ceiling wasn’t glass it was made of CEMENT! because throughout my career I was passed over many times. I remember I used to have “PITY PARTIES” hoping that God would hear me and feel sorry for me and then one day I heard a sermon on the television about PITY PARTIES and it dropped me to my knees and I began to cry and ask God to forgive me for my selfishness. As we all continue on this journey called LIFE my prayer is that each and every human being commit themselves to Christ and repent for God is REAL, and HE did INDEED send HIS Son Immanuel who walked among us. God is Love and He wants us to Love Him. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved…….John 3:17 The world better stop and think for time is the Essence we are living in the time of the Fig Tree. God Bless you Minister Milan.
I am new to this blog, Minister Milan and it has already be an immense inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing this divine insight. This is a word that I have been hearing continuously, especially this year. The Father is requiring His people to not only believe but to move to a place of total “hands open and out stretched,, falling backwards without a net” kind of trust. Yes we have gone as far as we can possibly go…now lift your empty hands and worship our King!!!
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God sad “Let there be,” followed by, ”And God saw that it was good,”. Then God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Look at what was done in 6 days! You have to look at what God has done in order to understand what he can do. What you’re going through is nothing compared to the things he has brought you through. Jesus prayed to our father for someone to guide us, help us, be with us as close as our heart beat! He didn’t say he would be with us sometimes, he said, “And Surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.”
I know that the common belief is that faith does not involve reasoning, or even thinking…just believing. When we re-examine the scripture where Jesus teaches the disciples about worrying he asks them to “consider the lillies”. He goes on to ask them to “consider the birds”. In other words Jesus was asking them do a comparative analysis and then come to a conclusion. Well that involves thinking and logic. Yes faith does involve reasoning. The question is what are you reasoning? You are reasoning what you know about God’s character and God’s power. I know that he will never leave me or forsake me. I know that His will is to do good for me and not harm me. I know that wounds, bruises, stripes and shed blood ensure my healing. I know that if He provides for lillies and birds, He will do no less for me. I know that after I have done all to stand…STAND.
Thanks, I visted this page for the first time and I want you to know what a Blessing you are for the Body of Christ!!! Amen, Amen Amen! Keep Speaking the Word of God.