Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

Irrevocable!

 Even when we are too weak to have any faith left,

He remains faithful to us and will help us,

for He cannot disown us who

are a part of Himself and

He will always carry out His promises to us.

              II Timothy 2:13 (TLB)

 

            He was a nice looking young man, popular with his classmates, a good student, an accomplished athlete, and a new Christian. Sunday night after their youth meeting I found him sitting on the curb, completely defeated, lamenting his lack of faith! "I feel like I'm made of plastic, bending every which way with no back bone and putting up a front that I know isn't real. You talk about a loser!"

 

            Have you been there? Feeling deep within that you are a loser at being a Christian? I have, several times. [1] What do you say? How do you encourage him? Well, you say, "Let's talk about it" and with the calm assurance that the Lord is guiding you share those words that have penetrated the density that you know he is experiencing - you've been there before.

"You accepted Christ last year and you are sure that this decision was real - no holding back, right?" "Yes." "You are now - because of that decision - a member of God's family. Right?" "Yes."

(This is a powerful word for anyone who is questioning the validity of his faith.)

Look at II Timothy 2:13. I'm reading from Taylor's Living Bible paraphrase. Even when we are too weak to have any faith left - you see yourself in that description don't you? A weak, plastic person without faith, without substance, without the courage or the conviction to stand? The NAS says If we are faithless . . . That means no faith, doesn't it?  It means there's no faith left! It's gone! I've lost it! When we feel that way, what does the Word tell us? Read the rest of the verse: He remains faithful. It doesn't depend on MY faith. Even when MY faith seems to be gone, He is still faithful to me! There are two of us playing this "faith" game and when I fumble the ball, He always picks it up!

Why does He remain faithful? Because we are a part of Him. We are in His family now. He isn't going to disown us because we feel faithless. And with His faithfulness to us He says, "It's going to be all right. Don't worry. I will help you and I will always carry out My promises to you."

What promises? The one we've just read. He is the Faithful One. He will never let us down. If it ever seems that way, then we are wrong! We are not believing Him. He says, "The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable! [2] Do you know what irrevocable means? That cannot be revoked or undone! 

Our feelings lie to us. Our feelings do not have the capacity to think. Our feelings can be affected by any number of things from losing the football game to a rude carhop!

God's Word is the Rock on which we must stand - and even though we might feel like a ragdoll and doubt our ability to stay on the Rock, that's okay. He is the One holding us securely. He remains faithful to us.

Relief! Relief! 

Being fully assured that what He had promised,

He was able also to perform.

             Romans 4:21

It's time to praise the Lord!

 

 

[1] This generally happens when we compare ourselves with someone else who, as far as we can tell, is really a solid, producing, faithful Christian. (But they may feel just as "defeated" as I do!)

[2] Romans 11:29 NAS