August 17, 2013 … God Honors Faith In Action

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 229

Devotional Song: Go to this link  … Today watch/listen to a powerful song sung by Steve Green, singing “Find Us Faithful”, declaring that our faith in action must pave the way in everyday life for others to believe.

 Highlight Study passage found in 2nd Kings 4: 1-3 [NLT] …  
1 One day the widow of one of Elisha’s fellow prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” 2 “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
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Contextual reading study of 2nd Kings, Chapter 4: Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5-6 [Faith in action is God’s witness to the world!] … [NLT] …
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

  Reference Passage #2: Acts 1: 8 [Letting the world see God’s grace/power through our faithfulness.] … [NLT] …  
8 “… But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Reference Passage #3: Matthew 5: 16 [When we choose to act in faith, we shine the Light of our Lord to the world.] … [NLT] …  
16 “ … let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. 

My Journal for Today: Many times, through clouds of circumstances, it’s difficult to see that God has given enough of His enabling/empowering grace for us to be His witness by simply using what we have been given for His glory. That is the powerful lesson of the widow in 2nd Kings, Chapter 4 who was about to lose her sons to slavery because of indebtedness. But when she went to Elisha, God’s Prophet, and responded to His leadership in faith, God’s power was seen through her actions and faithfulness.

Sometimes we have trouble to live out our faith when we’re confronted with great challenges in our life; and the confusion of the challenges often causes us to be blind to what we have, i.e., God’s grace working through our faith, which can, when activated, witness to God’s purpose and His power through our faithfulness. And that was also the message Jesus was declaring when He ascended to heaven, proclaiming that He would always be with those who faithfully were His witnesses in the world … but only when we do so witness in faith [see Acts 1: 8].

But no matter what our own understanding or fears might be, as Solomon had declared in Proverbs 3: 5-6, when we put our trust in God, He will lead us on the path of witness which shines God’s light, … once again just as Jesus has declared for all of us to shine His light through our acts of faith [see Matt. 5: 16].

I’m afraid that all too often I let the cloudiness of my circumstances or the tyranny of the urgent drag me down into fearfulness and unfaithfulness; and when that happens my Spirit-ignited power becomes dampened by my own inability and inaction to witness. But like the widow of 2nd Kings 4, I need to use what God has given me, mixed with my faith, to be His witness to the world; and when I’m willing to surrender in this way to His will, He can and will use me to shine His light for His glory.

Hey, my friend, just as Elisha called the widow to act in faith, Jesus is calling us to be His witness today; and He has given us all we need to shine His light for the Father’s glory. Dear one, just listen to the powerful song to which I’ve linked you today; and then realize that we need to move forward – even today – faithfully using what God has given us – in His power – to shine His light in this darkened world.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, use my gifts with Your power to let others see You shining through my actions today. … Amen