
#55 The Work of Faith to Believe
Posted: Friday, June 15th, 2018
PrintAbout Rule and Reign Like Daniel Series
Daniel believed in God as Ruler, so he brought Heaven’s Rule into his earthly government and heathen captors. Do you rule and reign like Daniel did?
Devotional
Faith is two things: a work and a gift.
First, the work of faith. Humanly, we will achieve rather than believe. We strive externally instead of working internally. We are people of the visible and we avoid the secret work.
In John 6:22, Jesus fed the 5000 (in Tiberias) and the people were astounded. Jesus knew they wanted to “seize Him and make Him king.” So He went away to the mountain by Himself. The crowd pursued Him with great enthusiasm. They found Him in Capernaum.
But Jesus exposed their motive: “You are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” The people wanted to use Jesus for their own needs. Their basic need? Food.
Wanting God to be my servant and meet my needs so I can have ease and fullness, this is merely human. But the goal of mere personal fulfillment leads to ultimate emptiness and hunger that cannot be satisfied. We were created to please God. He does not exist to be used by us for selfish ends.
The Lord would be received – not ruled.
When times are hard, we want God for sheer survival, but that is to make Him my servant, instead of my being His servant. And Jesus patiently wanted to move the people to the eternal first. In that realm, all is provided – including bread.
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life…
John 6:27 ESV