But it’s a choice whether we act in response to reality or in accordance with faith. Moses might also have run out of his supplies. Yet as for himself, he decides to trust God and His promises throughout the journey. He was not troubled by the hardships of wilderness because he had his heart fixed upon God, His wonders, and promises.

Not seeing the promises of God in His word fulfilled in our lives, we may be tempted to complain and grudge against God. I myself have challenged God to show Himself in my situations several times and have been angry with God several times in the past. But this did not change my situation. In these days, I have realized that we have two options:

• Complain to God for reality
• Keep Believing in the promises and faithfulness of God.

Each individual gets to choose what she/he will do.

It was logical for Israelites to complain to their leaders Moses and Aaron. However, there is another dangerous reason behind their complaining: the lack of faith among them. Their heart was fixed upon the needs and things of the Earth. Their heart was fixed They did not desire to live in fellowship with God, as Moses did. They got each one of their desires fulfilled but at the cost of a relationship with their LORD. What benefit is it, when we get everything except the relationship with God? Ultimately, they could not enter into the land of promise (Heb. 3:19). We are easily distracted by the cares of life if we are satisfied living on the fringes of the presence/glory of God.

We are easily distracted by the cares of life if we are satisfied living on the fringes of the presence/glory of God.

Jesus Himself is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). Each one of us has the promises and will of God for our lives. We may not get a call as Moses got but we still can have the relationship that Moses had with God. From the life of the heroes of faith in the Bible, we understand that Great Faith is Persevering Faith. They persevered long enough to see the promise of God fulfilled in their lives. We too need to stand patiently in our faith for us to fulfill the will and promises of God in our lives (Hebrews 10:36). But how do we do that?

Great Faith is Persevering Faith.

The more we listen to the rhema word of Christ, the stronger we become in faith (Romans 10:17). So how can we listen to the rhema word of Christ? The more time we spend with Him personally, the more we wait silently in His presence, meditating His word, the more we know Him (Psalms 46:10).

It may seem logical to get intimidated with God for the perils we may be going through. But it takes faith to stand in the promises of God irrespective of realities. Will you choose the path of faith with perseverance or question God with your logic?

We see and hear many popular pastors and worship leaders backing off of their faith, citing God’s incomprehensible silence in the current situation and events of the world. This happens when you hear the world’s voice (news, social media, personal feelings, and other dumb stuff) more than the voice of God. On one hand, this seems reasonable. However, we are not to live by reason and by the facts we see. We are to live by faith. We, however, pray that they may return to the shepherd of their lives. Sometimes we feel like we are alone, we don’t feel like praying and reading the Word of God. But we have to rise above our feelings, to the truth of the Word of God.

It is easy for us to get intimidated at watching God’s silence over the immorality and lawlessness growing in the world. As we look around us, we see that Corrupt ones are prospering day by day. Lawlessness is growing every second. Almost every news is about bad things happening in the world. We cry day and night for the kingdom of God to come on Earth, and His will to be fulfilled in our lives and our nations. Still, we do not see the answers to our prayers. It is easy to question our faith and God’s existence seeing all the events happening around us. However, God wants us to live by faith; that everything is under His control, His plans are way bigger than our understanding. He has a plan for each of us. The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us and is quickening us every day. Our job is to keep pursuing His intimacy and serving Him with perseverance. This is the faith that we need while on this Earth, which says “even though I do not get what I am promised I will still adore God.” God Bless You!

On the other hand, the Bible mentions that meditating upon the Word of God is key to living a fruitful life. It says that people who meditate day and night upon the word of God are like trees planted along the riverbank, that bear fruit in each season, whose leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Wow, such a wonderful secret! Yet most people don’t understand this. When we meditate upon the word of God, the written word(logos) becomes the inspired word of God(Rhema). Jesus also says that man shall live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” This life-giving bread is obtained as we meditate in His word. This meditation is not like eastern meditation practices. Eastern meditation focuses on emptying the mind and detaching oneself from everything. On the contrary, this meditation is all about filling the mind with the word of God, the glory and greatness of God, and being connected with Him. As a result, we draw from the power of the Holy Spirit to implement the word in our daily lives. This sparks a process of transformation in our lives. This makes us fruitful and renews our soul every day. This helps us to stay rooted in our most holy faith even in times of persecution and perils.

Do you want your life to change? Do you want to live a fruit-bearing life? Do you want to get rid of any addictions you may have? Do you want to live a successful life? Meditate upon what God says about your circumstance in His written word.

Discipline, Punishment, and War cannot change a person. Only the Spirit of the Most High God can. Therefore, instead of trying to change people on our own, we have to encourage them to meditate upon the word of God, lead them to His presence, and let them have a personal encounter with Christ. Only the Holy Spirit can enable you and me to be witnesses for Jesus. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are His fruit. We cannot have them on our own. The best thing we can do for ourselves is to stay close to Him, listen to Him, and let others taste His fruit through us.

We live in a world where identity crisis is relevant almost everywhere; even in many Christian communities. I myself have been the victim of this deep-rooted issue in my early Christian years until God brought me to the point when I realized that God has plans for me, which only I will be able to fulfill. However, I see this problem in many of my friends. They disguise the character and personality of some other people to hide their weaknesses and to gain influence in their circle. There are lots of promises and truths about our identity in the word of God. Yet the life portrayed by Christians is contrasting. We try to model ourselves from the movies we watch, from the popular preacher, personality, or celebrity whom we adore. We are tempted to copy the calling of popular people in our life. You know, this was one of the many reasons Israelites sinned and fell away from God and at present, many people stumble because they want to copy others. One of the popular examples of this is Israelites asking for King in the OT because they wanted to be like other people around them. However, we are not made to model ourselves around the world around us, nor are we supposed to compare ourselves with other people.  

The reason identity crisis is prevalent in our societies is because people don’t fully realize who they really are. People become sad and intimidated because they don’t get the glamor and possession as other people. It is important for you to know who you are and what you really want. When you know who you are, you know who you are not. When you know what you want, you know what you don’t want. This causes harmony and edification in the body of Christ. Therefore, Peter urges believers to be diligent in confirming their calling and election.

If we are not concerned about finding our calling and election, we may not find them and we will stumble here and there and ultimately end up with a hit and trial ministry and life. Majority of Christians say that our calling and election is to preach the gospel. That is absolutely true. But how do you know where and how are you going to do it unless revealed by the Holy Spirit. Paul in his many letters mentions that he was called to be an apostle of Christ. There is also a story in the book of Acts where the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to go to Asia, instead He directed them to Macedonia. Why were they prevented by the Holy Spirit Himself if Jesus had commanded his disciples to go unto the ends of the earth, preaching the gospel? It is because God knows how to use us the best and He wants us to serve Him according to His perfect will, not on our own desire. It is, therefore, He gave you and me a specific calling, which only you and I can do the best. You are the most dangerous to devil when you walk in your calling. Therefore he tries to distract you in the worldly affairs and the desires of the flesh.  

Now the question comes: How do you diligently confirm your calling and election? Well, there are a couple of ways I found in the Bible. Firstly, I recommend spending as much time as you can in the presence of God. The best thing we can ever do for ourselves is to stay in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. When you do this, you grow in the fellowship with the Holy Spirit. As you develop the ability to tune into hearing His voice, you will understand it because only the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God (1 Cor 2:11) and He is in your life with the purpose of revealing God’s free gifts to you (1 Cor 2:12) among the many other purposes of His dwelling in you. He is the one who is always ready to guide you, mentor you, and empower you. Secondly, I suggest prayerfully serving others. As a result, you get to know who you are, and what are your abilities, gifts, and role in the body of Christ.  

What else do you know about this subject? Please let us know through the contact form on this page. God bless you!