Faith in "something"
from Ps 115:
Their gods are metal and wood, handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see,
Tin ears that can't hear, molded noses that can't smell,
Hands that can't grasp, feet that can't walk or run,
throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
have become just like the gods they trust.
i've had this conversation many times thru the years...the one where you're talking to someone about the Lord or about church and they say:
"you just have to have faith in something"
what do you say to that? it sounds good...faith is good, right? who are we to say what we should have faith in...pastor's are supposed to like people with faith, right? why in the world would you dismiss someone with faith?
but we must.
faith in "something"? well, fine, if that "something" is Jesus (apart from denominational affiliation)...going to one church or the other church isn't a big deal to me.
but listen to what they are saying...faith in something means faith in anything...faith in good things, faith in the Best Thing...but it also means faith in "neutral" things or even faith in bad things...
faith is only as good as what you are putting your faith in.
let's say there are 2 people. one with great faith...giant faith...more faith than any one else. the other person has a small faith...puny...tiny...itsy bitsy...as little faith as you can possibly have and still say you have faith.
the one with much faith puts their faith in a thin sheet of ice, just barely enough to cover the water.
the one with little faith puts their faith in vermont ice...ice a foot or two or three thick.
who would you like to be?
Their gods are metal and wood, handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see,
Tin ears that can't hear, molded noses that can't smell,
Hands that can't grasp, feet that can't walk or run,
throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
have become just like the gods they trust.
i've had this conversation many times thru the years...the one where you're talking to someone about the Lord or about church and they say:
"you just have to have faith in something"
what do you say to that? it sounds good...faith is good, right? who are we to say what we should have faith in...pastor's are supposed to like people with faith, right? why in the world would you dismiss someone with faith?
but we must.
faith in "something"? well, fine, if that "something" is Jesus (apart from denominational affiliation)...going to one church or the other church isn't a big deal to me.
but listen to what they are saying...faith in something means faith in anything...faith in good things, faith in the Best Thing...but it also means faith in "neutral" things or even faith in bad things...
faith is only as good as what you are putting your faith in.
let's say there are 2 people. one with great faith...giant faith...more faith than any one else. the other person has a small faith...puny...tiny...itsy bitsy...as little faith as you can possibly have and still say you have faith.
the one with much faith puts their faith in a thin sheet of ice, just barely enough to cover the water.
the one with little faith puts their faith in vermont ice...ice a foot or two or three thick.
who would you like to be?
posted by PMike. | 04:36
2 Comments:
At first I thought I would like to be the person with much faith. But the more I thought about it the more confused I got. On one hand wouldn't it be great to have so much faith that you could walk out on that thin ice and believe nothing will happen because you have faith. On the other hand if you step on that ice blindly God's plans could include falling through and drowning, How much faith would I need then? Either way I want to put my faith in his word. It's thick and true just like Vermont ice. He also tells me that no matter what happens it will eventually be for good to those who believe. I can say now that as long as my faith is guided by that having a little or a lot is not the question. He will be there with me no matter the situation and that I have faith in.
that's exactly the point. the thick ice is symbolic of what God said (or even of God Himself). the thin ice is anything else we might put our faith in. it doesn't matter how much we believe it or how sincere we are, thin ice will not hold us up.
only God can.
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