O Ye of Little Faith

Matthew 6:25-30 “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

God reminds us not only who we are, but more importantly, whose we are. If we rely on our own self-serving power then we are men and women of little faith, However, if we work out our own salvation, our completed wholeness in Christ, with awe, respect, and reverence, then God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Jesus said in John 15:5-6 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” God is a God of mercy but he is also a God of righteous judgement.

According to John 3:19-21, “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” 

After Jesus had spent many days ministering, He said to his disciples at the seaside, “Get in the boat, we’re going over to the other side.” As they were crossing the Sea of Galilee, a violent storm arose and their boat filled with water and they began to sink. They bailed and panicked as the water filled the boat. They finally woke up Jesus who was sleeping below deck. He said to the storm, “Peace be still.” Immediately the wind and waves ceased. The apostles marveled that even the weather was subject to His command. Then Jesus said to them. Why were you afraid, O ye of little faith? Jesus, God incarnate, did not tell His disciples to get into the boat, we’re going halfway across and drown. Nature’s God said, “we’re going over to the other side”, and no doubt come hell or high-water, His words are faithful and they were going to be accomplished. There are no victims in the kingdom of God. He turns people from victims to victors. As Paul said, But thanks be to God who always give the us the victory through Christ Jesus our Lord.

God never honors fear; He always honors faith. In our own power we are men and women to whom Jesus said, O ye of little faith. Our faith is in the object of our faith, Jesus Christ himself. Our faith is in the power of God through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is Christ in us the hope of glory. Through the trials and tribulations of this fallen world, God will teach us the meaning of sure hope and the meaning of true love. According to Romans 5, for tribulation works patience and patience experience (His proven character in us) and experience hope, and hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.

God is in the business of making men and women of great faith. He is alive in us when we work out the salvation He has given us through faith. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, his delight is our delight; His good pleasure is our good pleasure. Then in the power of the faith of Christ in us, God works in us and through us to will and to do of his good pleasure, that by believing faith, which is saving faith that works in love, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael