Dear Ones:
Faith requires strength and courage. In the first chapters of the book of Revelation, Christ addresses the individual churches in Asia Minor. “To him that overcometh” is a phrase He uses repeatedly. There are many enemies to faith. Not only do we live in an atmosphere of unbelief but we are faced with powers of darkness which actively seek to keep us from an attitude of faith. Christ wants to communicate to us His strength that we might overcome our enemies. He wants us to believe Him for this. The strength He provides is His very own. It is sufficient, it is limitless and He imparts it to us in response to our faith.
Charles Wesley put it like this in “Soldiers of Christ, Arise“:
“Stand then in His great might,
With all His strength endued;
And take to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God;
That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts passed,
Ye may o’ercome through Christ alone,
And stand complete at last.”
The Apostle Paul wrote, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man…” (Ephesians 3:14,16) Paul learned to live by the strength of Another, Jesus Christ, and in so doing, Paul overcame. He wrote, “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to HIS WORKING, which worketh in me mightily.” (Colossians 1:29)
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS the author and finisher of our faith…”(Hebrews 12:1,2)
How is the believer to overcome? It is by LOOKING UNTO JESUS. It is in the act of worship that Christ comes and imparts to us His blessed strength and power.
Mary D. James wrote in “All For Jesus“:
“Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Looking at the Crucified.”
Where do I place my trust? This is the great issue. The Psalmist said, “My help cometh from the Lord; which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2) Our inspiration to believe God comes when we fix our eyes on Jesus and our heart is filled with a true vision of Him.
So, today, “let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” And as we gaze upon Him with quiet intent and resolve, let us receive from Him the courage and strength to go forth in full assurance of faith. “Faithful is He who calls you who also WILL do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Love,
Dad