The Way to Permanent Faith

Mea e 'ai e tatau ma le aso
“Indeed the hour is coming  that you will be scattered ” (John 16:32).

Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this verse.  Their faith was real, but it was disorganized and unfocused, and was not set on the important realities of life.  They were scattered about.

The disciples were scattered to their own minds and concerns and they had other interests apart from Jesus Christ.

When we obtain the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be tested and exercised in the realities of life.

We will be scattered, not into service right away, but into the emptiness of the bottomless pit of our lives where we will see ruin and darkness, just to know what internal death to God’s blessings means.  I was tested this very day from an unruly  neighbor of this same experience, but with the reality of disappointing results of my own sinful nature and tendencies. 

I asked the question to myself, am I prepared for this?  Even though it is not of our own choosing, but God maneuvers our circumstances to take us to these depths in life.  Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings.

But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.  Living experiences in the real world.

“you  will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered so much that we have left Jesus alone by not seeing His ever-loving care for us?  Do we not see God at work in our own personal circumstances?  Or, are we so shallow that we only see what we want to see for our own well-being?

Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us?  Are we prepared to be separated from the outward blessings of God, so we can truly see His real light?

Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord and saviour, we each will continue to have goals of our own which we pursue and serve. Our faith may seem real, and you may convince yourself so, but it is not yet permanent.

But God is never in a hurry.   If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out to us that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself.

The sense of God’s blessings is fundamentally simple and sound.  He simply says to you, “ In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).   

Ia manuia,

failauga p. anoa'i