Your Daily Devotional for February 21, 2006

February 21, 2006

 

Faith in Action

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.”

 

1 Samuel 17:48-50

 

What a sight it must have been to watch David, a young shepherd boy, kill the Philistine giant Goliath. In man’s eyes, this feat would have seemed impossible, but David knew this battle was greater than he—the battle was the Lord’s. David wrote in Psalm 27:1-4, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,  came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.” David’s victorious faith was not in man or in the armor of King Saul.  His faith was in the Lord.

 

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, said, “Many missionaries estimate difficulty in light of their own resources, and thus they attempt very little, and they always fail. All who have done great things for God, first reckon on His presence and power to guide them.”

 

Hudson Taylor’s days as a missionary and witness for Christ are over. David’s great display of faith against the Philistine army has passed. Now it is our turn to display faith. You see, yesterday’s victories cannot sustain us in today’s battles. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

 

My friend, what have you really done in your life by faith? Yes, you trusted in Christ by faith to save you, but are you living by faith in the day-to-day circumstances of life? I would remind you that God is alive. There is victory in Jesus. He is able, and faith is the victory!

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