Champion

 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2..."Be assured, if you walk with Him, look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you." George Muller

Sometimes, the Holy Spirit so fills a Scripture and quote that one of these devotionals almost writes itself. I think this may be such a time.

I think many, when they see the end of Muller's quote, that "He will never fail you," immediately think, "but He's failed me, and more than once." First off, His not giving us things that either would push Him further from His, or bring harm to us, is not His failing us. He has a purpose and will for us, and often our desires get in the way of that, even good ones. We are too willing to settle for our good rather than His best. Secondly, everything is not about us, though we often live as if it is. God is at work in this world and as He works in our lives, He is also working in others. He is weaving a tapestry that brings countless lives into a pattern together. Some of how He works may bring temporary pain, but He is working for our eternal good. Beyond that however is the fact that the greatest reason we may feel He's failed us is that we have not to any degree sought to live in the way described by both Hebrews 12:2 and Muller. We are not living our lives with our spiritual eyes fixed on Him. It is more that they are fixed on everything but Him. We don't understand His sacrifice, His authority, and His Lordship. He has never promised to give us all of our desires while we give Him little or nothing of ourselves. So, we live frustrated, often angry lives. It needn't be so. Shouldn't be so. We can live in the manner of both the Scripture and Muller's words.

First, as we focus and keep our eyes on Him, we walk with Him...in fellowship. This means communion with Him. We get to grow more deeply in our understanding and knowledge of Him. We hear His heartbeat and we know His mind in ever increasing ways. We can become so close that we know His desire for us before we even ask. He is always speaking and we come to a place of always listening for His voice. For those whose focus is off of Him, this seems a pipedream, but it's not.

Secondly, we live in an attitude of looking to Him at all times. This means that we have developed the spiritual habit of taking every need, every challenge, every giant, mountain, and danger to Him. We don't first think of how we can handle things, but look to Him to give direction, and power in the midst of it all. Our minds and spirits are disciplined and tuned to Him. We have learned the futility of depending on ourselves and the wisdom of depending upon Him. We know that He's the answer, solution, and help in all things. He will make a way....when, as the old chorus goes, there seems to be no way.

Last, we need to live expecting help from Him. Someone said that the way to live victoriously was to expect to live victoriously. Chris Tiegreen writes, "The key to seeing God work is to expect Him to work." And our expectations are not centered on what we hope He will do. Our expectations are in Him. We know and trust that He will do and give His best. We can expect Him to be Almighty God on our behalf. His Word says that our hope in Him "will not disappoint." We will never will if our hope is firmly set upon Him.

Who would not wish to walk with and trust in such a champion? Yet many who call themselves His do so every day, and continue to reap the consequences of that....every day. Who will you fix your eyes upon this day, and every day? The Champion of your faith, or the futile hope found outside of Him? When our focus is not upon Him, all is out of focus. When our sight is fixed upon Him, all things become clear. Who is in your line of sight today?

Blessings,

Pastor O

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