April 5

“You must put your will into your believing....You may have to believe against every seeming.....We are told that all things are possible to God (Matt. 19:26) and that all things are possible also to him who believes (Mark 9:23).”  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 4/5

Hannah also reminds us that if we are a child of God we have “at least as much faith as a grain of mustard seed.”   So what is our excuse for not believing God?  I believe it’s simply a matter of our flesh diluting our faith.  It reminds me of the grape juice I make from concentrate.  It is so strong tasting that I add an extra can of water to weaken it.  This also stretches how long it will last!  In the same way when we try to stretch our resources by adding our own fleshly resources to God’s resource we water down our faith.  Perhaps, we secretly desire to water down God’s power within us because it can be scary to be “all-powerful”.  With this power comes responsibilities.  Also, we risk losing friends who feel threatened by our ability to accept life’s challenges so easily.  There are all sorts of reasons why we may be afraid of the power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us.  As I think about this I hear the words of the angels when they announced Jesus’ birth, “Do not be afraid.” The shepherds were frightened by the “glory of the Lord” that shone around the angels.  We mustn’t be afraid of the glory of the Lord within us.

“He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe.  But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”  Matthew 17:5-7