Moving Forward by Faith

For by-faith-missionaries, trusting the Lord to provide for personal needs and for the needs of the mission is a way of life.

The Lord did two amazing things in our lives when we were missionaries to China. The first was to bestow on us the gift of faith. Faith that He would always meet our needs! He gave us faith to praise Him in advance for victory against all odds. Living by faith was the first miracle. Secondly, as the Holy Spirit led, guided, and spoke truth to us, He did a sanctifying work in our hearts. He would put His finger on something that He wanted to change, and He changed us

We need the Holy Spirit’s power to be like Jesus. For example, as we set our hearts to follow Jesus, the evil one would fling flaming lying arrows at us. The Holy Spirit gave us steadfast faith in our Lord Jesus, and Jesus saved us. Our Lord turned what was meant for evil into a larger victory, not only for us personally, but also for our mission.

This morning, I read in the Bible, 2 Chronicles 11:13-17, how when the nation of Israel split in two, the northern king went against God and the southern king stuck with God. King Jeroboam rejected the Lord’s priests. Verse 15 says that he set up “priests for the high places, for the demons, and calf idols which he made.” The Lord’s priests left his nation and moved south to Judah. Verse 16 says that they “set their heart to seek the Lord God.” Verse 17 says that “they strengthened the kingdom of Judah.”

Psalm 1 says that the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, but delights in the Lord’s word, and meditates on it day and night is blessed. This man shall prosper, but the wicked shall pass away like chaff in the wind.

Psalm 2 speaks of nations, people, kings, and rulers taking their stand against the Lord. They say they want to cast off the Lord’s restraints. What does the Lord do in this Psalm? He laughs. He derides them. He has His King. The King is His Son. Verses 11-12 advise, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

Proverbs 8 speaks of wisdom. Verse 13 says that wisdom is to fear the Lord and to hate evil, pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. Verses 15 speaks of God’s wisdom giving kings and rulers the ability to reign and decree justice. He loves those who love Him. God’s wisdom bestows enduring riches and righteousness according to verse 18. His fruit is better than gold according to verse 19. The Lord says in verse 21: “That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.”

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross to cancel all Satan’s and sin’s claim against us, and for giving us Your Holy Spirit. Please grant all Your people faith to trust in You and to move forward by faith in Your Word, the Bible. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”