Belief and Faith (Mark 6:45-52)
Many believers doubt that God is with them based on their subjective feelings. They assert that God is not with them because their faith is not sound. In order to recover their faith, they either pray harder or diligently keep certain rules. However, as long as you do not have a standard of what faith is, you cannot avoid continuing in this uneasy state.
1. Belief and faith
The word ‘belief’ has the meaning of ‘a recognized knowledge about salvation’. But a broader meaning is ‘an obedient attitude to the Lord’s guidance’. The word that realistically expresses this is ‘faith’. If ‘belief’ has a momentary dimension related to intellectual understanding, ‘faith’ has a long-term dimension related to a changed attitude. In short, the true character of a person with faith is shown by obedience and service.
2. Hardships and maturity
Many people think God is not with them if their circumstances do not go smoothly. But we should not judge by worldly standards. God sometimes leads us into difficulties and trains us in them. The world’s circumstances lead us to deny God, but God wants us to recognize that He is with us even in hardships and become mature by obeying His guidance.
3. Obedience and take heart
The disciples first crossed the sea by the Lord’s command and encountered a great wave. While they were facing trouble on the boat, they probably thought that the Lord forgot about them. But the Lord was always watching them, and He even walked on the water to reach them and save them. If you suffer trouble while you are obeying the Lord’s word, take heart. The Lord does not take His eyes off us for a moment, and He will help us in a way we cannot imagine.
July 25, 2021
Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim
