To Test Their Faith (Josh. 1:8)

8/21/2009 9:06 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  To test their faith

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Joshua 5:8

            Message of the verse:  “8  Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.”

            Speaking from the experience of a 59 year old male, circumcision is painful, and because it was painful to me I know that it was painful for all of those men who went through this operation then. 

            This is the second reason God commanded the circumcision to be done and that is to test their faith.  From a human point of view this surely gave an important advantage to Israel’s enemy because all of the soldiers would be inactive for sometime because of the operation they had all just gone through.  This was a test of their faith and Israel passed this test unlike the test at Meribah which they failed after God had opened up the Red Sea to allow them to get away from their enemies for good.  At Meribah the test was no water and the people gripped about not having any water after just seeing how the Lord had done a great miracle they did not trust Him to provide water for them.  Now at Jericho the children of Israel saw another great miracle done by the Lord by stopping the flow of the Jordan River at flood stage and allowing them to pass through on dry ground they would have their faith tested with the circumcision of all the males in the camp making them vulnerable or defenseless to their enemies.  Israel passed this test!  “The Scottish preacher Andrew Bonar (1810-92) used to say, ‘Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle.’” 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I know that I could very well be wrong about what it is that I am about to write, but at the same time I may be right too.

            Grace Baptist Church of Westlake was given a test as a church a few years back and it left us without a Pastor for a year or so and the after praying for a year most every Monday evening the Lord answered our prayers by sending us a Pastor, I believe the Pastor of God’s choice.  However there seems to be more tests that we are to go through after God sent us this Pastor, tests of trusting God to use this man to accomplish what it is that He wants to accomplish in His Church.  There are certain things in the Church that never change, and I also believe that there are certain things in the individual churches that do change among them is music, style of worship, dress, styles of buildings that are worshiped in.  These things are preferences to those who worship in an individual church and are not really mentioned in the Word of God so they can change.  If one would go to a African American church in the USA they would see a different style of worship than in a more conservative white neighborhood, but assuming that both churches were filled with true Bible believing believers, I think in God’s eyes both are acceptable. 

            I don’t want to see our church fail any tests  sent to us by the Lord, and so I am open to what He has for us at GBC as long as it does not have anything to do with doctrine, and I don’t think it will. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Romans 12:1-2  “1 ¶  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
    
2. Proverbs 3:5-6  “5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”   
3. Psalm 139:23-24  “23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
4. Philippians 4:11  “11  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
5. Ephesians 6:14-18  “14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

8/21/2009 10:02 AM