You stand on the edge of a vast lake, staring onto the horizon and cannot even imagine what is hidden in the depths. Countless fish live there, enough to feed multitudes if one could catch them all. You start out with grand ideas of snagging the prize–the elusive fish that legends are made of! By noon you would settle for one decent sized fish that could feed the family back home. By mid afternoon you are now hoping for a photo opportunity with even a non-edible variety of finned creature–anything to assure you, and the others watching, that you can catch something! All the while you are thinking, “What am I doing wrong that I am unable to catch a fish?”
Truth is, you don’t catch fish. They are caught on your line by their own doing–by being lured.
If there is any talent in fishing, it is this: patient endurance, and never giving up hope. Sound familiar? Yes. And I believe God mentions the act of fishing numerous times on purpose. As an example to us–something easily understood.
Full, active faith “lures” the Truth of God and its manifestation into your situation. (see Matthew 17:14-20)
You sit in your chair holding a copy of the Word of God. You stare at its leather binding and wonder of all the promises listed therein. You’ve settled that the Word is true. You believe that God meant all those things. You’ve come to the knowledge that Jesus died to purchase all of those promises for you. Instead of patiently enduring while looking to God to bring the answers to all of your needs, you “reason” in yourself what you should be “doing” to get those elusive promises to “hop onto your proverbial hook”. Herein lies the issue.
Instead of Faith, most folks have Wish. Just like the fishing scenario, we stand at the edge of His Word, knowing full well that ALL the promises are in there for the taking, but not sure we will receive what we need. Instead of Faith, we hope and wish that God would grant us one promise–just one small fish–to prove to ourselves, and to others, that He (and we) are REAL.
John 10:10 states, “The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” (WEB)
Don’t believe me? What happens when the enemy presents a problem? We tend to stare at the problem and begin a reasoning process on how to overcome and outwit it. We struggle with our “line” and try to snag SOMETHING in the Word that will deliver us, repeating any verse that comes to mind (in the spirit of fear) that we might convince our brain of His promise–instead of boldly approaching Him in prayer, asking for His Will to be done in our presented situation, and then drinking in patiently the Truth clearly printed in the second half of that verse.
Jesus came. Jesus paid. Jesus finished the work. He really IS the Author and the Finisher of our Faith. (see Hebrews 12:2)
The problem is not God. The problem is that we do not believe Him, let alone set our faith solely upon Him alone as Truth, and believe that His work is truly FINISHED. We are so programmed to reason and think on earthly terms. We say we have no issue believing that He saved us from an eternity in Hell, but we can’t seem to believe that He is going provide the means to pay next month’s water bill–much less minister healing to our flesh!
I cannot help but ask: If that is the case, then do we REALLY believe that He has saved US from eternal judgment? Or are we claiming that promise, yet really just “hoping and wishing” that is true?
For me, “believe” and “faith” had to collide. For they are NOT the same. James 2:19 makes that abundantly clear: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” It doesn’t take much to deduce that demons are not recipients of salvation. So why then do we think that just because our brains believe that God is God, that that is all there is to faith?? Read the whole chapter of James 2. You will see a bigger scope. Faith demands something. Faith is all out. It acts out. Faith is what drives you, in every moment, to plop down at the dock of Truth and throw in a line.
This isn’t about works. This isn’t about you getting your “act” together before you can be real. This isn’t even about you conquering fear before you can believe and trust. This is about coming to agree and accept that God is God and He can do ANYTHING. (Matthew 19:26) It is about child-like faith that your Father is MORE than able to fulfill His Word. It is about Hope. It is about Trust. It is about Love. It is about having a Love for Jesus that bypasses your brain, carries you over all you can see, taste, feel or see. It is about your surrendered Faith in Him. It’s about BELIEVING in your heart.
So…Stop Wishin’. Drop in your line of full, active Faith and watch what God can do. He’s AMAZING!
As for me, I’m GONE FISHIN’! 🙂
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality–faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. (Hebrews 11:1, AMP)
