Daily Devotional
The Two Faces Of Faith
Text: Isaiah 43:2
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Message
Beloved, have you come to the knowledge that your faith in God is not a magic bridge over your seas of problems, difficulties, challenges, and satanic attacks, but a pathway through them? Be reminded that in the Bible Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of Nebuchadnezzar’s fire unhurt by faith. However, by the same token of deep-rooted settled faith, Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was burnt at the stake, exuding so much courage and peace that amazed his persecutors. These contrasting and different endings of Bible events and persons show that a faithful Christian is a winner – head or tail.
Remember that no matter the not too good or good at all past, present, or future that may come your way, all will end working for your good if you abide in your love for God and remain in his purpose (Romans 8:28, 31, 34-39).
Like a coin, my faith has delivered at two different faces, levels, and phases. My faith sometimes honours God in my life with miraculous deliverance, the accomplishment of extraordinary deeds, making me ‘obvious success and the envy of others’ for visualizing through faith the invisible and attempting the impossible and achieving the incredible. Permit I mention two of the occasions to the glory of God. In one, I felt in my spirit that there was a stranger living in my house with me. Then I prayed, “O ye evil representative in this temple of God, you are a stranger, come out of your hidden place, show your face and die now.” Three days after a real life snake, apparently roasted by the Holy Spirit’s fire to death, was what we woke up to and found right beside my bed in the middle of the night!
Another case on point, scorpion stung my child right in my bedroom! My supposed friends laughed at and scorned me as my child, in four quick successions, slumped and passed out in the hand of the doctor but by the fervent prayers of my brethren with me, and more importantly by the mercies of God, we were not consumed as the child was brought back to life. Alleluia.
On this side I “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
But on the dying to self side of faith are the apparent losses when by the same faith, I opted to and did reject deliverance and did not receive deliverance but endured cruel mocking, agonizing torture, tragedies, trials, scorns, shame and disgrace. A case in point was my disappointment as near death trials came my way and almost consumed my joy when the corporate anointing of a good number of those I revered as being in God ended up to nothing but my shame and disgrace. The enemy escaped our radar, hit us on target, and invoked maximum harm. Though the experience was not good , I am happy to let you know that everything ended in my favour and for my good-according to God’s will and purpose.
What’s the lesson in all these? Whatever face of faith gets thrown at us-children of God, we should remain faithful Christians, a winner- conqueror, head or tail.
From God’s reasoning, view, and desire, a winning faith is a faith that is prepared and convinced for a double-faced outcome – a win or loss. We win by faith either by receiving the deliverance we desire or by receiving sufficient grace to endure without losing our trust in God – for the God on the mountain is the same transcendent God in the valley.
As you continue to walk with God, determine to live by faith and leave the outcome to Him for the object of a winning faith is for you to hold on to your convictions even when you can not predict the outcome of your course for or with God. Absolutely nothing should be done in vain glory, self aggrandizement, selfishness, or pleasing people. Rather, our living must be for Christ Jesus and to die a great gain to His kingdom. No wonder that without faith, no one can please God, and without holiness, no one can see Him.
Conclusion
Sometimes faith does not always deliver you from troubles, sometimes it simply walks you through the troubles.