The Challenge of Faith

Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

I have thought to share something that I know troubles probably all believers, obedient believers for that matter. Though I wonder how a believer can be disobedient.

And it is the fact that God releases just enough for our consumption; whether it is revelation or provision.

As a result, there is much uncertainty around our lives because many times we will not have a coherent explanation of where we are or even why we are there.

A case in point is Jacob.

God has told him to go back home after twenty years out there.

That was just enough revelation to set him off on his journey.

He protects him from Laban and even the Canaanites whose tribe his sons had killed for their sister’s rape.

But why did He not tell him about Esau with his army of four hundred? Why did He not even hint about it yet the main reason Jacob ran was because Esau had vowed to kill him?

And why did He not give him any strategy on how to handle that situation?

Why had he to depend on his ingenuity when God had promised to be with him?

His prayer in the situation is a prayer most of us have prayed more times than we care to remember when our paths of obedience meet brick walls of opposition.

Why did God not tell him to relax? That He had the situation under control?

That is what I mean.

Even in provision that is how God operates with us.

He will release just enough for the moment.

A case in point is one time I was in rent arrears (over two months) to the point that I was issued with an eviction notice.

The eleventh hour passed. Then the twelfth. Then the eviction day eventually came and still no breakthrough.

That is when I received a message from a friend to go and see him.

When I thought to sneak early to see whether it was the provision I needed, God ordered me to wait for the landlord and his action. And that guy was a no-nonsense character.

I remember God asking me what I was scared of since I had surrendered to Him.

I remember praying something like this as the situation had seemed to become more desperate.

If You have a way of gaining glory by having my things thrown to the streets, I surrender.

But the guy did not come. Until I could have told him that I left because he had not come.

And it was the provision for more than the rent.

I came to learn that God had literally confused him by pushing the day ahead despite the fact that the guy was learned.

God operates that way all the time.

That is the challenge we have with obedience.

God releases just enough for our obedience.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

We struggle with our faith because we need the smallest sneak preview of what is ahead of our obedience that God purposely refuses to release.

Remember Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread just like He used to release manna every morning.

Just trust Me, is what God always says when He issues His command.

And we will please Him if we will just launch out on that word without asking for a route map of the journey.

Then He will release just enough provision to aid our obedience.

God owns everything.

He does not limit our provision because of lack or ill will.

He does it to enrich our relationship with Him.

He does it to deepen our love for Him.

He does it to strengthen our faith.

You see, over the years, those last gasp interventions in either provision or guidance have made me more settled. I can now relax in situations where had they happened before those experiences I could have fallen apart.

I used to wonder how Peter could have slept when he was awaiting his certain death from Herod that the angel had to awake him.

I used to wonder why Paul and Silas could have not only sung when fixed on the stocks but have refused to be released until certain demands were met.

Now I understand.

They had been with Christ

Their faith was such that they did not have issues with the uncertainties of their situations.

The only certainty is the constancy of God.

And that puts all the other uncertainties at an almost irrelevant position.

But beyond that aspect of uncertainty is an even worse lurking threat; what will people say about our uncertainties?

How do we explain our very almost non-existent revelation? And I say non-existent because for the most part nobody apart from us has heard the order we may be seeking to explain. In fact we may also be having serious issues about it.

And it is probably worse because we have to explain to our loved ones things that we possess the barest revelation, many times only an order, an order we are also struggling to understand.

I actually gave up trying to explain my obedience to anybody because I cannot even explain the same to myself, the only certain thing being the order I have received.

We are not called mad men for nothing.

It is that madness that pleases God because it takes Him at His word without even comprehending it.

Clarity is the only thing we pursue. But we seek it with an intensity so extreme because our life literally hangs on it.

That is the purpose of fleeces. That is the purpose of asking for signs.

They are simply to help us ascertain the order we have received, many times because it is extremely idiotic and insane when logically looked at.

It was with such clarity that Gideon was able to trim an army of thirty-two thousand to just three hundred.

Imagine diminishing our disadvantage in war from four against one to over four hundred against one?

But he had established his orders and their source.

His insanity was therefore guided by Someone who had the capacity to do the impossible.

That is our faith.

What insane order have you recently received?

When was the last time you received such an order?

Did you follow through with it?

Or must you always understand God’s orders enough to explain your peers?