Devo Week 51 - Discerning the Unseen Realm

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matt.10:16

Follower-ship - Faith in Action

In God’s Kingdom, there is only one King but many followers. These followers are both Jew and Gentile from all the nations. Perhaps one of the best definitions of the church is given to us by Howard A. Synder from his book The Community of the King. He said we are most rightly identified as followers of Christ. 

WHO IS FOR US

According to the Apostle Paul, as Christ followers, we experience the fellowship of His sufferings. That means suffering is a key marker of a true follower of Christ. In Amy Carmichael’s poem Have You No Scar? she asked the question: “Can he have followed far who has no wound, no scar?” And so, we should not be surprised by the difficulties we face in life. In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer. (II Tim. 3:12) But here’s the Good News:  God comes to us in a unique way through suffering that produces perseverance and depth. He is for us, with us and in us through these sufferings. We are blessed with a closer and deeper relationship with Christ, as we suffer for righteousness’ sake.

WHO IS AGAINST US

While Satan likes to plant seeds of doubt in us and discourage us through trials, if we can lean into God and hold onto Him, our faith will be purified and strengthened. Pastor Samuel Lamb, a former leader in the house church movement in China, said, “More suffering, more growth.”  In trials, the spiritual battle is to respond in faith. If we do, our faith will be purified. If we don’t, we begin to doubt God, become discouraged, and pull away from Christ. (I Pet. 1:6-7) The trials we face are not meant to cause us to question God, but to deepen our trust in Him!

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL BREAKTHROUGH

Father, we thank You for the precious gift of faith that holds us through all of our trials. Lord, give us grace to trust You. Purify our faith through all of our sufferings. Deepen our faith and help us lean more into You. We want to hold tight to You through all our sufferings so that Your faith will be fully developed in us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!