THE FIRE OF FAITH

THE FIRE OF FAITH
Thursday, February 1, 2018 by Ron Susek

What causes some people to overcome impossible odds while others languish in defeat? Read today's edition of FaithWalk: Courage for the Journey.

The Fire of Faith
by Ron Susek
@Golden Quill Publications

Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench.
(I Kings 18:38 ESV)

It is not uncommon for God's people to be obligated to live for a period of time in the shadow of an evil mountain that will not move. Then comes the time when God would have you move the mountain by faith. You begin by building your faith upon the foundation of God's Word, then learning to pray until God grants the fulness of faith. And then comes the moment when your faith becomes a fire. It is time to move the mountain.

       Evil builds huge, impassable mountains to threaten to impede God's will and block the believer's path. Satan desires to mock faith and render God's promises powerless.

       Eventually, believers assume the mountain cannot be moved. Some believers, however, use the challenge to stoke the fires of faith. They refuse to allow such mockery of God to persist.

       It is then that a "Moses" looks Pharaoh in the eyes, and without wincing says, "Let my people go!" It is then that an "Elijah" calls down fire from the sky and destroys four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. It is then that an "Israel" topples the walls of Jericho.

The impossible. That is it! That is what causes the fires of faith to burn the brightest. This is not wild-eyed zealotry, but rather faith acting in the power of God to remove that which opposes the living God.

       Why does it often take a long time to bring down heaven's opposition? Generally, it is because the people of faith allow the strongholds of Satan to grow stronger and stronger until the people become bound. For instance, it was disobedience that caused Israel to languish in the mud pits of Egypt until Moses rose up to say, "Enough!"

   Is it possible that one of the reasons why young people are departing the Church never to return is because they do not see the fires of faith driving parents and pastors to move impossible mountains? They hear the great stories of the Bible, but they remain just that - stories. They learned the great hymns of the faith from their ancestors that speak of marvelous things, then no faith is engaged to see marvelous things take place.

       Faith, by its nature, cries out for a contest with the impossible. When that is denied, faith either becomes passive or defeated. There is no challenge listening to the ancient exploits of faith if it is not exercised today.

There was one common factor in the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11. They all faced impossible mountains. And they conquered by faith, be it overcoming impossible armies or accepting martyrdom. All was done by the fire of faith!

These were all commended by God. In this darkening hour of evil, may you and I rise to the ranks of the commended by God. Is the fire of faith burning in your soul? There are impossible mountains to be moved - NOW!

Always remember, Immanuel: God is with you!

Your friend,
Ron