The Value of Faith

We talked about the value of faith in our unit 242 on Thursday. It was very meaningful, especially Peter's testimony of how God is helping him find a job that is in line with the vision that He's given Peter. Think at quite a few times, he almost teared, because of how God was so faithful to him.

'Cos had been talking today with Weizhu and Benaiah, and somehow the conversations got onto the topic of achieving our dreams for God, and our long-term plans - where is God in the picture?

So thought about it when I got back home. Was talking to God about this, and think it's been a while since I last seeked His face and His career guidance :). Even freelance work is work, with deadlines to meet.

And as I was praying, think God reminded me of how Abraham obeyed God's command to leave the safe comforts of his home, and went to a land only God knows where.

Genesis 12:1
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

There are detours, to be sure, in the journey of faith. Like how most likely I'll have to take up a job unrelated to the vision I have at the moment. Like how Abram and his wife went down to Egypt for a while because of a famine. Yet God is faithful.

When Peter shared about how sian he felt when half of his resumes didn't get replied, and the feelings of uncertainty that he felt when pressing the 'Send' button for the umpteenth time...

"It won't be easy [to impact the media industry for Christ], but I have faith in God that it can be done."

This verse came to mind as I was praying. Psalm 32:8. I think God is telling me that, do not fear, my son, I will teach you what you need to know. I see your heart for me, and even though, yes, you really know very little, I AM WITH YOU. DO NOT FEAR!

This is His promise to me that I want to claim even as I continue to look for not just a job, but a purposeful job that allows me to fulfill God's calling for me:

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you."

Don't know, but I feel quite... angry... when people dream very passive and safe "dreams" for God. I mean, I feel like shaking them and asking them, "Oei! Where's your faith in God?"

Not that I have great faith - on the contrary, I am a person who struggles to have faith even in very small things daily. But one thing I do know is that it is not the size of the faith that is so important as the One in whom we profess our faith in. So I think that's why I feel angry, because when we have a certain amount of faith already, but do not want to exercise it... in a way, we are belittling God's power and indirectly, insulting Him.

I know it's strongly worded, but the Bible's v blunt about this... Hebrews 11:6 - "And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

That's the value God puts on our faith in Him - of greater worth than gold (1 Peter 1:6-7)...

So maybe that's why I felt angry... not because our dreams are not big enough... nah, that's not what He's looking for... not because we have done a lot of things... maybe it's important... but simply because we as older believers don't want to believe God even when He has already shown us what He can do...

And what really displeases Him is when we already have a sizeable measure of faith that He's already given us to enable us to believe in Him, but we still stubbornly refuse to use it.

Hebrews 3:19
So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out].

But not to fear! Because Hebrews 4 says, after warning the believers about the consequences of refusing to believe in God:

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].

Find it so comforting and encouraging... and inspiring!!! I simply love the book of Hebrews... every time I read Hebrews 12, it simply stirs up my blood and rouses me to keep on running the race for our Lord Jesus.

Thanks so much, Daddy, I'm so amazed at Your infinite grace to me, how You are still so with me, even when I clearly clearly clearly do not deserve Your presence at all. But, wow, You really love me so much. Even after almost 10 years as a Christian, I still can't even begin to just touch the surface of Your immense depth of love for a wretch like me... in fact, it makes me feel quite overwhelmed to think how ... deep... is Your love. Oh man. I'm not even overwhelmed enough. Haha...

Something that I was praying too - Lord, please purify my faith to be more and more childlike as the days go by. And yeah, please make it grow too. To be less childish and more childlike. :D Because faith pleases You very much Lord. :)