But The Righteous Shall Live By Faith

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”  Romans 1:16-17

We live in a world of one selfish act after another.  People across this nation have gotten so used to having what they want when they want it, that debt has skyrocketed and our nation is in trouble.  I have learned that the Lord works exactly opposite.  Our Pastor explained it like an old mule “You can’t push him or pull him, so all you can do is just get on for the ride.”  How many times have I tried to push or pull God?  Way too many!  I have tried to drag Him right into my way of thinking and WOW, things didn’t happen the way I had so carefully planned.  But you know what?  I am so glad!  It is so much better to let Him guide me because He knows the whole picture, and I wonder how my perspective would change if only I could see what He can see.

One of my favorite songs has always been The Dance by Garth Brooks.  The words go like this “For a moment wasn’t I the king, But if I’d only known how the king would fall, Hey who’s to say you know I might have changed it all, And now I’m glad I didn’t know, The way it all would end the way it all would go, Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain, But I’d of had to miss the dance, Yes my life is better left to chance, I could have missed the pain but I’d of had to miss the dance”.  I am so thankful that my life isn’t just left to chance, but guided by an awesome, powerful, and loving Father that does know the how the end will turn out, and will help me reach it in a way that will Him the glory!

Power in Romans 1:16 is translated from the Greek word Dunamis, our English word dynamite stemmed from that word.   In 1885 when Russell S. Penniman invented dynamite it was one of the most powerful substances known to man.  It is hard for me to imagine a loving God that holds the world in the His hands and has more power than anything on or yet to come to this earth.  But He does!

In this world we are always around change.  Stores are full of self help books, to aide us in becoming better.  We have a mentality of always wanting more; more money, more stuff, more love, more, more, more.  But every believer has human limitations and weakness.  We are imperfect, and every one of us in the end will fail miserably on our own.  When finally discover this weakness God has a beautiful and amazing way of coming into our lives and using His great power through us, if we are obediently serving Him.

Charles Spurgeon put it well when he said “God’s power is like Himself, self existent and self sustained.  The mightiest of men cannot add so much as a shadow of increased power to the Omnipotent One.  He sits on no buttressed throne and leans on no assisting arm.  He is Himself the great central source and originator of all power”.

So can we trust God! He is worthy of complete confidence. Nothing is too hard for Him, no prayer is too hard for Him to answer, no need too great for Him to supply, no temptation too powerful for Him to deliver from, no misery too deep for Him to relieve. “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1).

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