Thursday, February 08, 2007

True Faith

What is true faith? How can it be measured? What do we, as Christians, think that true faith looks like? These are good questions to ponder in our own lives. In Psalm 26, I think that David answers these questions.

Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
Psalm 26:1-2
David says, "I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." To trust God without wavering means that we trust Him fully for every aspect of our lives, good or bad. It means that we can totally rely on Him to bring about what is best for us and mandy times that means suffering. Trusting the Lord through that suffering is true faith, and we know that we only have that true faith because of God's grace in our lives. He enables us to trust Him more fully.
To ask God to "prove and try me." That might sound crazy, but it isn't. It shows that we know God is in everything and knows everything, He is sovereign over all. It allows us to see that our hearts and minds are totally His. I pray for myself that I will trust in the Lord enough to ask Him to prove and try me to see if my faith is unwavering. Thank goodness that it isn't really up to me, but up to Him who gives me the strength to be unwavering in the faith He has given me.

5 comments:

Courtney said...

Good points and thoughts, Jeanna. It is a little scary to ask God to try and prove you--the results may not be what you want--but the ultimate outcome reveals his love, gracy, mercy and compassion for us.

jeanna said...

Courtney, you are right about that, the results may not be what we want. At least we can conident that it is what God wants, and no matter what, it is always what is best for us.

ashley said...

its good to ask God to prove us because it sheds light on whether we are relying on God's faithfulness to us or our faithfulness to God. so often i slip into legalism and find that i am relying on my own ability to be faithful to him instead of simply trusting Him who has promised to finish the work he started in me by relying instead on the his atonement for my sin and the righteousness he has credited to me. the next verse says, "For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in YOUR faithfulness." his obedience and faithfulness to God was in the power of walking in GOD'S faithfulness. David walked in the freedom that in whatever concerned him, God would always be faithful, and in this knew he was righteous before God by faith just as abraham's believing counted him righteous. wow, this is good stuff. i needed a reminder of grace today. thanks for making me think and meditate on the word. praise Him that "It is finished." may i rest in his finished work and abide in his love that in submission to it, he may live through me.

Anonymous said...

HI! Jeanna,

This is so true! I know that I had and have fail times to times. It's so hard to be 100% without wavering. It's so easy to slip and not to put faith and trusting in God. I know that I have to work on that to continue to put all my faith and trust in Him. He will have to continue to point out my errors and sinful life. I know that He is still molding me to be more Christ-Like. I am so thankful for His patience with me when I am so hardheaded.
Eating His word,
BoldLion

Lori said...

Thank you for this reminder from Psalm 26. So often I profess these truths from my mouth, but I am unwilling to ask the Lord to really try and prove me. He usually does anyway (haha), but it is something I should desire, since it is His daily sufficient grace that sustains me in the first place.