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Fairy Tale Faith
March 24, 2020
So the last few days, we’ve been looking back, so that we can understand today. And I believe we’ll probably go back there again. Nope, ha ha, I know we will.
Today I want to talk a bit about one of the questions I raised in another devotion. Do we really believe there is a God?
We can’t just keep going on what I call fairytale faith. Growing up in the church I heard the stories of Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the Whale (Big Fish), and one of my favorites, Daniel in the Lion’s Den – my favorite for obvious reasons, pun intended!
Many of us hear these stories, and we accept them on a level of religiosity – if that’s even a word. We accept them even when we’re not sure what to do with them. I mean do you see miracles like those now? The problem is that many of us think of these miracles are just like watching Pinocchio, or some other fairytale story that has a great happy ending.
You see we look to these stories, and we say – well that’s a good story. There’s a great moral we all should follow, but do they truly represent reality?
And when we sit in that mindset we then place God as someone who we accept created the earth, and did all the things for the Israelites we read, but when it comes down to our belief, I’m going to pray hoping it works. When it comes to providing for my daily needs I’m going to work to make that happen myself. and when we do this it truly changes who we believe God is. We become our own god (little g), our motto becomes I trust in me.
So what does it take to pray – give us today, our daily bread - and then trust that God will provide for us what we need.
And I’ve been thinking since our time together yesterday when I mentioned Paul, and where he was in his journey. We talked about how he had gotten to the point that it didn’t matter what happened next. And that was because Paul was so committed to the cause of Jesus Christ, that he had that blessed assurance. He knew beyond all knowing that he indeed was saved from death, hell, and the grave.
Paul wrote this to the church in Philippi.
Philippians 2:11-13 (NIV) Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
Paul had worked out his salvation and nothing mattered more to him than knowing Jesus. His faith went far beyond just thinking something or knowing about Jesus, to the point of believing in Jesus. It didn’t matter to Paul - he told the Philippians this.
Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV) I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
To pray this part of the prayer – give us our daily bread - means that we accept once and for all that God is real and that He cares for us. When we have done this it changes how we handle adversity. Our cries to God move from anxiety to expectancy.
Romans 5:1-5 (NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
We can have peace – true peace, even if the circumstances of life spin out of control, because we have received forgiveness of sin.
God proved it to us all in the simple fact that Jesus died for us, while we were yet sinners.
If you are new to your faith in Christ Jesus, sometimes – even now – it can seem as if God is not there. Things are scarce – like toilet paper & water bottles – we often cry out early in our journey, “God where are you, do you see us here, we are not going to make it?!”
Then God shows up, and over time He continues to provide for us in ways we never dreamt. And we grow to realize that shortage doesn’t mean God isn’t blessing. We begin to trust God’s capacity to sustain us regardless of the specifics of our situation. It’s at that point we take hold of hope and we realize that God is able to bring us what we need for that day which can be more than merely nourishment.
When we understand that God isn’t just a fairytale and He can provide what we need to sustain us through difficult times including those we don’t see how we can get through, then this peace can take over our entire attitude in every circumstance.