Perfunctory Believers?

June 7

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." Ephesians 1:3

NO ONE IS MORE BLESSED

My daughter was playing basketball at a local sports facility when the manager asked her where she went to school. When she named her Christian school, the man expressed surprise. "But you seem so happy all the time. I thought Christians were supposed to walk around acting sad."

I don't think this man is alone in his view of Christians. Maybe it's because we have standards that warn us to avoid immoral activities that the world considers "fun." Perhaps it's because they think a somber, down-in-the-mouth lifestyle must accompany a serious faith. But I'm afraid the biggest reason could be that we as Christians too often let our list of problems overwhelm us and block our view of another list -- the Lord's blessings.

We have a Father who has given us "every spiritual blessing . . . in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). We have been chosen and adopted by Him (verses 4-5). And we are assured of eternal life (Titus 1:2). No one is more blessed, and no one can be as happy as we can be-- J. D. Branon



Apart from faith in the living Christ, modern day tales of the miraculous are beyond grasping; but when Jesus is factored into the equation, the unlikely becomes likely; the impossible becomes possible.

We know the Lord did some amazing things when He walked the earth. We know He claims to be, "the same yesterday, today, and forever," Hebrews 13:8, but often we don't expect or anticipate or even believe that He stands ready to do wondrous miracles in response to our prayers.

We have become perfunctory believers who give mental assent to the amazing faith that has been handed down to us by those who came before us. We know their stories of remarkable deliverances from assaults of the enemy; but we don't allow the message of their appropriation of the promises to translate to ours!

Re-read Hebrews 11, the 'faith chapter,' to reacquaint yourself with the mighty power of the Lord to deliver His people from every manner of trial--or to deliver them through the trial to perfect victory.

May we come before Jesus today with sincere hearts that say, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief,” Mark 9:24. Lord, I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW You have given me power to pull down strongholds in my own life and in the lives of those round about me. Teach me to understand this amazing gift so I can employ it to Your glory.

God bless you, precious one, and give you everything you need to live in victory today and for all your tomorrows. I trust HE will withhold no good thing from you and that YOU will withhold no good thing from yourself through unbelief.