Maintaining a spiritual focus has allowed my strength to endure and overcome trails and tribulations. I invite you to meditate on the thought of the month provided by:

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell
The Word Made Truth Ministry
76 Livingston Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

(828) 279-8562

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell also have a prison ministry. Please feel free to ask questions pertaining to the thought of the month.

NOVEMBER 2007

Where is your FAITH?

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It amazes me how much faith we have in things that are not really reliable. We believe that money, jobs, vehicles, and people will always be there. However, if you have lived any number of years, by now you know that money may be here today and gone tomorrow. Jobs are disappearing every day and people find themselves unemployed and completely devastated. Vehicles, even new ones, have a tendency to fail us when we least expect it. How many times have you notice a new car on the side of the road with the hood up. And last but not least, people even the best of the best are human and have a tendency to make mistake and fail us.

Isn’t it amazing that we will have enough faith to go across a bridge that we know nothing about without a second thought. Yet, many times we find it difficult to have faith in the creator and sustainer of life, Almighty God, the Great I AM.

So we ask the question today, “Where is your faith?” Hebrew 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Many times we spend all our time hoping for things that will pass away instead of building our hope on things that are eternal, everlasting. The bible tells us in Matthew 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In others words, if we seek to do the will of God and use our substance (our will, energies, talents, education, & gifts) to get to know God and to follow God’s ordinances, God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory!

Secondly Hebrews 11:1 states that faith is “the evidence of things unseen.” It’s easy to believe in what we think we can achieve with our own abilities and talents. But truth faith challenges us to conquer territory that requires the assistance of a Mighty God. In other words, move beyond our confront zone. Faith is what the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had when he led a nation (with the help of many unsung heroes and heroines) from racial discrimination to civil rights legislation that provided guidance for true democracy in America. Faith that pleases God, causes us to believe in God’s only son, Jesus, who came and died for our sins. Faith that pleases God, requires us to believe that with God all things are possible. We have the ability to reach far beyond the expectation of others and ourselves to glorify our Heavenly Father. We have the ability to reach the unreachable, the imprisoned (mentally, physically, and spiritually), and the disenfranchised. Yes, we need to build our hope on things eternal, providing love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance to morally dying world. This is what the world need now! Where is your faith?

Prayer

Father we thank you for calling us to look beyond what we can see with our physical sight, to look with spiritual eyesight at the challenges and opportunities we face. Give us the wisdom and understanding we need to always know that there is nothing to hard for YOU. Remind us, that “faith without works is dead.” Remind us that “we must walk by faith and not by sight.” We pray for those who have lost there hope and need a lighthouse to find there way back home. We pray that we might be that lighthouse, lifting up the name of Jesus, the name of hope/faith for a sin sick world. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.