You will recall that when My servant Paul was close to the time of his departure, that he wrote to Timothy that he had fought the good fight. He was aware that the walk of faith involved enormous struggle. And you see in this portion how that the pattern of that fight, that struggle, was established in Abraham who was the father of the faithful. Even though I declared to Abraham that I am his shield, that is his true protector, and that I am his very great reward, that is his true provider, you will notice that his coming to understand and walk in the full implication of what I had promised involved considerable struggle. You see that when he heard that I was his reward, he thought immediately of his childlessness, and it seemed to him that this condition had persisted for such a long time after I had promised him that his progeny would be a blessing in the earth, that he began to doubt and to reason naturally that his servant would be his heir. I not only declared to him that this was not going to be, but I showed him the stars and declared to him that his offspring will be as their numbers. And you see that My Word declares that he believed Me and his belief secured for him a right standing before Me. And then I began to remind him how I had called him out from Ur and given him the land of promise. But here again Abraham was confronted with the fact that, though I promised him the land, others at that time possessed it, and he lived among them as a sojourner. So you see once again how his faith was tested by the fact that the circumstances seemed to contradict My promise. And when I directed him to bring the sacrifices, so that by them I could establish My covenant with him, you will again see the struggle of faith that was involved. For not only did the birds of prey attack the sacrifices, but the thick and dreadful darkness came over him in his sleep and the word that I gave him concerning the future destiny of his descendents involved days and years of severe trial as well as the promise of ultimate blessing. Now I want you to recognize that though many of the promises given in My Word have been fulfilled, and that you and others who believe are called like Abraham to live by faith, that the same kind of struggle, that which My servant called “the good fight of faith”, is your struggle as well as it was the struggle of your father Abraham. The same tension that existed for him between the realities and the evidence of circumstances and the clear declaration of My promises exist for you as well. And therefore the faith by which you are justified in receiving the free gift of righteousness must also be extended to your walk of faith, so that you can live by the promises and be directed and controlled by them, rather than being controlled by your natural understanding of and reactions to your circumstances. Now, as I have said to you, this was indeed a fight, a struggle. You may observe that there were promises given for which details were not elaborated. For I told Abraham that his descendents would be strangers in a country not their own and would become enslaved and mistreated for many years. But I did not give him the details, even though I could have. For did I not give him the very extent and borders of the land that I had promised? And I gave him generally to know that I would bring his descendents out from the land of slavery and punish the nation that had enslaved them. And I gave him to know that it would be many years before this promise would be fulfilled. But you may ask, would it not have helped Abraham’s faith to be more specific and to give more details? But I would say to you, no, it would not have helped either Abraham or his descendents in the matter of faith if I had given more specific details.

For the very heart of faith involves trusting in Me and depending upon Me.

The call of faith is not to depend upon the amount of information nor the full measure of human understanding about events. This is always the pursuit of the natural man and it prompts independence rather than dependence upon My revelation. Therefore, such information and such independent judgment does not promote the way of faith. In the face of natural circumstances, faith is and will always be a struggle. And the key to victory in this struggle is for you, as it was for Abraham, an ever increasing dependence upon Me to be what I have promised, both to be your protector and your provider, your shield and your great reward. So then, as it was with Abraham, so shall it be with you, as it was with My servant Paul and with all who would walk by faith; that you must indeed fight the good fight by continually and increasingly being dependent upon Me.

Tags: Dependence, Faith, Promises, Trials

In this portion you see My Son performing wonders: healing the sick, feeding the hungry, walking upon the waters. But what of the disciples, what do you see them doing and saying? Do you not see them when they speak or act out of their own initiative, speaking and acting with little faith?

For when My Son had healed many in the crowd and the evening was approaching, the word of the disciples was, “Send them away to get themselves some food”.

And in response, what was the word of My Son? “Bring what you have to Me”.

And in the case of His walking on the water, what was the word of the disciples? In terror they cried out, “It is a ghost!” But what was the word of My Son? “Take courage, it is I, don’t be afraid!” And what was the word of Peter? “If it is You, tell me to come to You on the water!” And what was the word of My Son? “Come!” And when Peter took his eyes off of My Son and saw the wind whipping up the waves and began to sink, his words were, “Lord save me!” And when My Son caught him and lifted him up, His words were, “You of little faith, why did you doubt”? And the final words of the disciples as they worshipped were, “Truly, You are the Son of God!” Now do you not see, as you compare the words of the disciples with the words of My Son, that those of the former are mainly words of doubt and unbelief? Yes, it is true that in the case of Peter there was some faith as long as his words and his perspective were focused upon My Son. But you see how quickly the circumstances around him drew him away from his focus upon My Son, so that in every case you see that in the disciples’ words, they reflect doubt and unbelief, even though they have observed My Son doing wondrous things and speaking wondrous words. But in contrast, see how the words of My Son challenge them to believe and to exercise faith by putting it into specific action. But in each case, you see that ultimately it is My Son who has to step in and provide what is necessary to meet the need in each situation. As He does, both by His words that encourage faith and His actions that meet the need, you see that it finally brings the disciples into a place of realization as to who He really is, and upon that recognition, it brings them into a place of worship. My son and My daughter, the process by which I bring you into that same place of focus upon and recognition of My Son and of worship, is it not also by your hearing and obeying His Word which comes to you even in the midst of your weakness, your doubt and unbelief? And also by recognizing that He is sufficient to meet every need, even though you may feel completely insufficient. And even as it was for the disciples in the case of the loaves and the fishes, if you will bring what you have to Him, will you not also see that He will make it more than sufficient and meet the need even as He did for the disciples?

Tags: Faith, Focus Jesus, God Confident, Unbelief