Eye Opener

Back in February during a chapel service here at Asbury, Bishop David Thagana from Kenya was the guest speaker. His message that day was about the call of God in our lives, but he made a statement during his sermon that caught me off guard. He said something that I had never seriously considered before. He told our seminary community that,

"I think it would be so difficult to be a Christian in America. I don't know how I could learn the lesson of faith if the car is there all the time for me to just turn on and go, the food is there in the house in the fridge all the time ... I don't know the price of faith, where is the price of faith? ... Everything that you need is available."

When this statement was spoken, I was taken back. He was so right. Where is the price of faith in America today for the Christian? Do we have a true faith in God in America? We can get anything and everything we want or need on our own. Where does our faith in God kick in? I have been pondering this every since that day.

As I think back and even look at myself now, I can see a lack of faith in God. I can see how I have been prone to drift to the quick easy ways of the world as opposed to seeking God and waiting on him. I have become accustom to the conviences America has to offer. What would I do without tv, sports, internet, credit, etc? Can I really trust God with all I have at my disposal? It would be easy to stray away. It would also be easy to take the satisfactory outcome the world can offer to me and be happy with it. I do a great deal of the time. I know this.

Then, I remember. God's ways are above and greater than the ways we know in this world. God goes bigger than this world. He can and will go bigger if we seek Him and are patient with Him to act in His time. God can provide things much greater out of His work than this world can provide for us. God can orovide for us in such a greater way than this world ever could. The Bible provides numerous examples of the way God can provide in the Old Testament and New. He divided the sea so the Israelites could pass through and be saved. He then gave them the land he promised them. Both of these because they were willing to follow (even though they weren't so much at a few points along the way, they still did in the end). He brought healing to people through Jesus where their faith healed them. He provided food for the large crowds following him out of enough to feed maybe a single family. We must simply seek Him. God is ready to work and provide for us. We must simply seek Him and have faith that He indeed can and will do what He has said. Will we choose the road of the world with temporary small satisfaction? Or, will we choose the road of seeking and faith in God with unimaginable and eternal provisions? The choice is ours.