My faith has been tried lately. Tried in regards to our future, past, and pretty much everything in between. I have so benefited from reading Octavius Winslow's The Precious Things Of God lately. This section on faith pretty much sums up what I have been experiencing.
"The trial of faith is precious because it attests it's reality. Apart from it's trial, what an uncertainty attaches to faith! Untried faith is uncertain faith, just as unsmelted ore is suspicious ore. A believing man knows not upon what he is really leaning until God brings his dependence to the proof. Has he wealth? has he strength? has he friends? has he influence? has he interest? has he gifts? How far he may be secretly and unsuspectingly leaning upon one or more of these and not upon God, he cannot know until God tries him. But when all these creature-dependencies, these human supports, tremble and fall from beneath him- when the flood-tide of sorrow has swept them away, or the wintry blast of adversity has scattered them, then comes the grand test of his true support,- he stands or falls, raises his head in hope or droops it in despair, just as is the reality and strength of his faith in God."
a little later on in the chapter in talking about having faith tested in tried in a fiery furnace he says,
"Oh to have the dross of carnality, and the alloy of unbelief, which so dims the luster and paralyzes the vigor of faith destroyed! Nothing, after the fiery trial, may be left, of all that looked so divine, so holy, and so spiritual, but one grain of the pure gold of faith- yet that one grain of faith, obscure, infinitesimal as it may seem, outweigh in its real value millions of worlds, and it shall never, never perish. "
I feel more dependent on the Lord now than ever. So many questions, battling fears and doubts, mixed in with excitement and joy. But processing all that I'm truly afraid of has revealed from what I was leaning upon. Oh that my faith would grow more and more and my feet would be placed firmly upon the rock Jesus.
"He that has faith in God has every desire of his heart fulfilled."
3 comments:
I Pray for that strong faith. True faith is tested faith. I will pray for you (and us. God has not let us down. We are truly blessed as a family. All Christians and close. Hey we even have our own Pastor. God has had his hand on us from the moment we began.
Love
Dad
love that last quote...praying for you sweet friend...
Tara,
I rejoice and feel for your "ache" at the same time. How comforting though that we are in God's hands. The paths we take through the creases in His hands are unknon to us, but He is gently directing each one of our steps. I will pray for you-for the needed grace that God WILL provide for each day.
LOVE YOU! XOXOXO cd
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