LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Henry Blackaby, in his study entitled Experiencing God, makes this statement –

            “When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.”

With brevity and precision that statement dissects our hearts. Here are some profound truths to think about. May they bring initial unrest to our souls followed by the peace of God from knowing our faith has been strengthened.

• God spoke and said, “Whoever calls on my Name shall be saved. Whoever believes on the One and Only Son of God shall have everlasting life. If we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us for those sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Acts 2:21; John 3:16; 1 John 1:9) So why is it that we still live under the bondage of sin, struggling with it, seeking counseling for it, and in some cases resolving to just live with it? Do we really believe God to be who He said He is and to do what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, “I have qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For I have rescued you from the dominion of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of the Son I love, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:12-14) So why is it that we still live with such connections to the worldly kingdom? And why is it that we still struggle to qualify ourselves in the eyes of others, giving them the right to define us and approve us? Do we really believe who God is and what He said He would do?
• God spoke and said, “See, I am coming, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; my lips are full of wrath, and my tongue is a consuming fire. You will sing…your hearts will rejoice…for I come to shatter your enemies and deliver you.”(Isaiah 30 :27)Then why is it that we get so bent out of shape about what’s wrong with our world? What do the grumbling and complaining and critical spirits say about who we believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)So why do we still worry? What does that say about who we really believe God to be?
• God spoke and said, “If you have the faith of a small mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, move from here to there, and it will move.” (Matt. 17:20)As far as I know, God has never asked anyone to move a mountain, but He has asked us to do some pretty out-of-the-ordinary things in our lives. You have heard Him speak to you about those things before. They may involve a career choice, a call to ministry, a sacrificial gift to a church, or one of a million other possibilities. The point is, you have heard Him speak to you. He gave you His direction and purpose for that time of your life. Did you obey? If not, what does that say about who you really believe God to be?

I remember struggling in this regard. Years ago I heard God speak about our church’s ministry. Many people did. We looked around and saw God at work in spectacular ways. We were overflowing on Wednesday nights with children and youth. One class packed sixteen 3-4 year olds into an 8×10 room. We heard God speak a vision to us for expanding our ministry. He specifically said, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left.” (Isaiah 54:2-3)

What did we do? We started acting on our faith. And today the church inhabits a building that is the result of the faith. We believed what God said to be true about who God is, and we moved accordingly. When all was said and done, it can be said of our church that God did something beyond human ability. Now, does the same practice of faith apply to every area of my personal life?

“When God speaks, what you do next reveals what you believe about God.”

Pastor John