FAITH and REALITY collide all the time. Concerning our own finances, making the commitment to be Biblical tithers with 10% of our income probably did not initially make sense on paper! And yet, God supplies. I know in my own life, even though Jane and I's expenses have increased and our pay has decreased, God has led us to increase our giving to 13% all during 2011 - did it match reality on paper? No way, but God has met all of our needs as we have obeyed Him by faith. And what about you? What percentage has God led you to give? Is it just 10% or is it more? And regardless of the number, did it make sense naturally to you? Probably not.
So what is the key to all of this? To ensure as best we can that we are being led by God and not just by what we see with our natural sight. Hard to do? YES! It would be much easier to simply look at life and draw conclusions based purely on what we see naturally. But God wants us to walk by faith. If we pray, God will speak and we will have an opportunity to walk by faith in what He is saying and not simply by what we see with our natural sight.
The Lord is wanting us to look for His voice and leading - that my friends is a much harder task than just looking at reality. But history proves that is the best path to take!
Here is the challenge: Take time to pray and hear from God. And when God speaks, act in faith. Remember the 10 lepers in Luke 17:14 - it was "as they went" that they were healed. It will be the same for us: as we go in obedience to what God has spoken, we will see His blessings in our lives!
So the next time FAITH and REALITY collide, which is probably sooner than we would like, let us choose FAITH!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
