Scripture for the Day Nov 16th 2020: How to Keep Unshakable Faith

Faith is like Love. If we base it only on emotions, our faith will change based on our moods, on how we feel.

One thing I learned early in my Christian walk is that LOVE ought not to be based on emotions either, but on a decision, we've made. Soon after marriage, the faults and imperfections of your spouse come to light. And they quickly notice our less lovable manners. These are the habits we may find annoying, the way he/she does things differently; the list could be endless. Love grounded in emotion will soon fade. But that's not the case if you decided to love that person. It's even set in stone with your marriage vow. You made a decision to love your husband/wife till death. If the partner does something that angers you, emotions do not define your love and relationship - thus it becomes steadfast.

It is the same with faith. When we first declare Jesus Lord, we decide to believe in Him, in His Word. It's not an emotion. It shouldn't be. When you read an outrageous passage in Scripture that's hard to believe, it is not a problem. You have already decided to believe, to have faith. Thus, your faith becomes unshakeable. 

I used to live with a woman. We were not married. When I came to Christ, I knew that continuing to live with her would be a sin (fornication/adultery). I ended the relationship after 10 years of sharing a house. She did everything she could to persuade me to stay. But I looked to God and stood by His word. During one key moment as I was contemplating my decision, God asked me: You either believe in me, in my Word, or you do it your own way. You either be true to me, or you marry the world.
I chose God. I had proposed marriage to her in the past and she declined. Now, it was time to live my life true to God. It was the hardest decision I had made until then. Six months later, she married an illegal immigrant. God was right. He always is.

Our Heavenly Father has given us free will. Otherwise, we could not truly love God. We decide to love God and to have faith in Him. Look at the liberal/globalist crowd; they don't believe in having the freedom to make your own decision. They want to make all choices for you. Not even God does this. Therefore, I will never fall to the wayside and cower to these people. God is greater.

1 John 4:4
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” 

Yesterday, we talked about the importance of correct translations. Let's look closely at the original Greek in the Book of John.

John 3:16

King James Version:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The Pure Word:
"Because, God has Loved in such a manner the satan's world, so that He Gave His Son, the Only Begotten Risen Christ, in order that whoever is 
Continuously by his choice 
Committing for the Result and Purpose of Him, 
should not perish, 
but definitely should, 
by his choice, 
be Continuously 
Having Eternal Life."

Although less poetic, the original Greek manuscript is very precise. It highlights Jesus' will for us to make a conscious choice. Amazing how translations do not get the true meaning of His word across, isn't it?

Let us bow our hearts and pray:
Lord, thank you for Who You are.
Thank You for giving us the choice to love and to follow You.
Thank You for the grace you show us to give us time to make that decision.
I pray for my atheist family and friends, for the lost, that they, too, may use the time You are gracefully giving them to make the RIGHT choice.
Let them choose life, not death. Let them chose right, not wrong. Let them chose heaven, not ****.

In Jesus' name
Amen

#Devotional #Scripture4TheDay