Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

2 Cor. 1:20 “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ…”

Years ago, I had to minister to a woman who was convinced that her husband was having an affair and involved in some pretty carnal activity. She was telling others about it. She was bad mouthing him to many people. She actually showed up at the door of my home to talk with me about it. It was absolutely confusing to me. It was because I knew her husband. I knew people that knew him well, that were around him in the workplace, and that knew his reputation. I would have described him as a loving husband, a wonderful father, a top notch employee, and a strong mature Christian man and leader. I never heard him criticize or belittle his wife. I heard him speak of the love for his children. He had a high level job and was repeatedly promoted. I saw him faithfully and selflessly serve people and was a great leader. He was gentle and kind with everyone and a very humble man. I absolutely loved this guy in the Lord.

Was he any of these things his wife thought he was? As it turns out, he wasn’t. She was having some issues, whether hormonal or mental health I do not know. All I know is that she believed it and consequently worked to verbally tear him down. What gave me an even higher esteem for this man was that he knew it was going on yet refused to stop praying for or loving his wife. He knew she was visiting people and working to destroy his reputation yet he would not stop doing every thing he knew and could to try and make things work.

What we believe affects our life! When you wholeheartedly believe something, it affects how and what you think, it affects what you say, and if affects how you act. This woman believed these things without any verifiable truth and it drove what she thought, what she spoke, and how she acted. That is what “faith” or belief in something does whether you are right or wrong in what you believe.

That is one reason why apathy is so bad. Apathy is defined as an absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement; a lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. Apathy doesn’t give a rip about what happens. Consequently it works to undermine or destroy faith or sincere heart belief – the passion or state of heart that pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God…” Many people become apathetic because they hate conflict and would rather cave in and avoid having any strong belief or value because they can’t stand the forms of persecution that comes from others who disagree with them. It’s easier to utter the catch words of the day, “I don’t care” or “whatever.” Apathetic people are never leaders and often lousy followers. They just try to get through a life.

When you believe something strongly – when something becomes a true conviction and an anchor of your heart, it will guide your life. It will affect how and what you think, what you say, and how you act. That is why you better have your beliefs anchored in true knowledge and fact. Many people anchor their beliefs in what they consider to be the true knowledge and fact of science. The problem with that is that science is always changing. The world was flat. The world is round. The world is one galaxy. The world is endless galaxies that are still forming to this day. Science is really only the progressive revelation by discovery of what exists. It is always changing – never stationary – and never entirely agreed upon. Yet people anchor their beliefs on what science reveals thereby affecting what they think, what they say, and how they act.

They often say, “I only believe what I can see or scientifically prove.” That statement is the myth of self-deception. There is not a person on this planet that doesn’t exercise faith in something or someone – without verifiable evidence. Everyone exercises faith. You do every time you drive over a bridge or an airplane. You exercise faith that the bridge won’t collapse or the airplane will get you to your destination. You tell someone you will be at your destination at a certain time on a certain flight. That is faith. There is no verifiable evidence of that statement. It is speaking concretely about something in the future. “I will be in San Diego on flight 891 at 10:30 am. See you then.” It leads you to buy a ticket and it leads you to tell people you will be traveling. It leads you to board an airplane. You have exercised faith numerous times. Everyone is a person of faith and it does affect their daily thinking, saying, and doing.

This is why it’s so important to establish your faith in the truth of God’s Word. Let it shape what you think, what you say, and what you do. Unlike science, God never changes. People may create gods. People may mischaracterize and misunderstand God but that is not His doing or fault. God Himself never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I change not…”

God’s Word tells us that what we have tomorrow comes from what believe, say, and act on today. He modeled it for us from the beginning. Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” So have faith in God’s promises! As today’s Fresh Manna verse says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ…” Speak them by faith as God spoke. Let your faith – what you believe, become what you think, say, and act on.

Let what God promises you affect your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Believe in His promises. Believe in this promise to you today. Psalm 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2007 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.