Ephesians 4:17-24
Verse 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
We mentioned yesterday how the sin in our lives affect our ability to hold our shield of faith. Once again Paul is reminding his friends in Ephesus of the importance of being aware of how they live. The truth about our sins is they don’t have to be carried. We choose our sins even if we don’t want to admit it.
So if we know not to pick up sins and carry them, why do we? The truth is, our faith is small and we are not growing it as we should. We are kind of like Peter as he was walking on the water. The disciple had faith enough to step from the boat but when he thought about the storm around him, he started to sink. Jesus could have stopped the storm to make Peter feel safer but instead Jesus saw it was an issue of small faith. Jesus needed Peter and the other disciples in the boat to understand it was when they were focused on Him in faith that they could deal with the storms around them.
It is one thing to take the step of faith like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat but unless we are keeping our focus on Jesus and His power we are likely to start seeing the circumstances around us and we, like Peter, will start sinking into the waves of life. We will miss the amazing miracles He can do around and through us because we will be too busy looking at what we see our capabilities to be.
So many times throughout Scripture God was fighting the battles of His people with things which made little to no military sense. There was the marching around a city silently for six days and then walking around the city a seventh day seven times shouting when the priests blew the horns (Jericho). Then David’s battle against the Philistines where God told His people to wait until they heard what sounded like marching in the tops of the trees (2 Samuel 5:24). And how about the time God’s army followed the choir into battle only for God to have the enemy armies fight and kill each other leaving only the plunder for the Israelites (2 Chronicles 20:21-23). In these battles it was the focus on God and obedience to Him which led to victory. This is what we need to remember about faith, it isn’t about our abilities but His.
Making It Personal
Where in your life have you relied on what you knew instead of having faith in what God had for you? Why does your faith stop short? What do you need to take the step of faith about?
Making It Personal Kids
How much faith does it take to do the things Jesus tells you to do? Why do you think it takes so much? Can you trust Jesus that much?
Closing Prayer
Father, we confess that we are people of little faith. Help us learn what it truly means to have faith in You and Your abilities. In Jesus’ name, amen.