I’m honored to feature one of my writing friend’s upcoming release! Debbie Wilson’s new book comes out March 8th! See below for a chance to win her book. Draw will be next week.
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Have you ever thought, When I have more spiritual knowledge and experience, then I’ll boldly live my faith? The biblical story of Rahab challenges that notion.
Sometimes, those of us blessed with Bible knowledge are tempted to assess our faith by how much we know rather than by what we do with what we know. Rahab had little personal knowledge of the one true living God, but at the risk of her own life, she put every bit of what she knew into practice. God rewarded her bold faith with a place in his Son’s genealogy.
While the Bible commends Rahab for her faith, it demonstrates it was not the size of her faith but the size of her God that saved her. Faith is only as reliable as its object. Let me illustrate.
Thick Versus Thin Ice
One year, our family lived on a small lake in northern Indiana right below the Snowbelt. Coming from southern California, my jaw dropped the first time I saw heavy trucks travel across frozen water. When we moved to Raleigh, my kindergarten-aged son remembered the trucks on the lake. He tried to scoot across a North Carolina pond after only a few days of freezing weather. Thankfully, he fell through at the shallow edge. Great faith in thin ice won’t hold up a child.
The thickness of the ice, not the driver’s faith, held up the truck in Indiana. Rahab’s faith worked because of a great God, not because of the size of her faith, the depth of her knowledge, or the breadth of her experience.
Experience Versus Action
Thirty-eight years before Rahab’s heroic act of hiding Israel’s spies, twelve other Hebrew spies personally witnessed God’s miracles in Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. Despite their impressive personal experiences, ten of these men focused on the size of their enemy instead of the faithfulness of their God and shrank back in fear.
Physical senses are unreliable indicators of spiritual realities. These men measured their chances for success by comparing themselves with their enemies. They should have measured their enemies against their God. Their misplaced faith harmed the loved ones they’d hoped to protect. God closed the Promised Land to that rebellious generation. More knowledge, more experiences, and more time won’t grow passive faith.
Paul wrote: “I know whom I have believed,” not what (2 Tim. 1:12; emphasis mine). Does your faith rely on your experience, feelings, or knowledge? Rahab reminds us, life-changing faith doesn’t depend on the breadth of our experience or the depth of our knowledge, but on the size of our God.
Question: How might applying what you already know enhance the quality of your life and faith?
(excerpted from Little Women, Big God: It’s not the size of your problems, but the size of your God.)
Debbie Wilson wants to celebrate the release of her new book Little Women, Big God: It’s not the size of your problems, but the size of your God with you. Please leave a comment to enter to win a free copy. If you’re in a hurry, simply say, “I’m leaning on my big God!” Winner will be drawn on Sunday, March 20th.
About Debbie:
Debbie W. Wilson is an ordinary woman who has experienced an extraordinary God. Drawing from her personal walk with Christ, twenty-four years as a Christian counselor, and decades as a Bible teacher, Debbie speaks and writes to help women discover relevant faith. She and her husband, Larry, founded Lighthouse Ministries in 1991. They, along with their two grown children and two standard poodles, enjoy calling North Carolina home. Share her journey to refreshing faith at her blog.
(www.debbiewwilson.com)
www.Lighthouseministriesnc.org, http://debbiewwilson.com/little-women-big-god/