“If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.”-Isaiah 7:9
The context of this warning is King Ahaz of Judah and his rejection of the Lord’s prophet…hence the rejection of the Lord’s Word and will. All of this comes just before the prophesy of the birth of the child…Immanuel. The issue of faith/trust is central to Isaiah’s words, which are actually God’s Words. This belief or trust is this: the acceptance as true of all the words the prophet speaks and then acting in accordance with them. Trust and obey… is Isaiah’s simple message!
“Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be “happy” in Jesus but to trust and obey.” The prophet and the hymn writer tell us of a very simple formula that we all too often forget. Faith requires belief in God and Hs Word with an active trust and reliance on God’s promises and character. The author of Hebrews tells us something similar, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6) Unlike Ahaz who didn’t want anything to do with God we are to be firm in the faith granted to us by God through Jesus Christ alone or we have no faith at all.
So the warning is clear: Without faith, there is NO security or stability. So if we do not have this kind of trust we are destined to be fearful…to be confused…to be overwhelmed continuously…to be willing to listen to the wrong voices. In other words, we will not be firm at all in anything important! And when Christians are not firm, not trusting in the Lord first, our witness for the Lord in our families/marriages… in our work…even in our play…suffers.
True faith/trust is seen in consistency and steadfastness belief toward God and His Word. These are interestingly enough qualities that are gifts from God alone so that when we are pursuing trust and faithfulness these benefits of God are experienced by us and seen by others as a witness of God being with us and our faith being true. BECAUSE: True faith is demonstrated through action that line up with God’s will. Our confession must be demonstrated in our works that bring God glory….which involves making decisions that reflect the trust we profess in God’s promises.
This simple passage made to a king of Judah is for all of us today as we contemplate how we are to live today, remember trust/faith in our God is essential to our day to day life without being firm in it we falter. REMEMBER: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)
God bless y’all today!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
