S P I R I T U A L P O W E R P O I N T S
The Affirmation of Faith
February 2001 - By Brooke Redwine
The king of a nation faces perilous battle. Where fear might plague him, confidence settles. Where anxiety might tear at him, peace rests. Where uncertainty might overcome him, boldness marches forth. He knows the outcome before the weapons are even drawn.
How can this be? Because of the king’s faith in the One who allowed the battle to ensue in the first place.
This king is none other than King David of Israel. His was a faith that was sure, strong, steady. A faith on which he could lean in good times and in bad.
As he prepared himself for battle, David not only prayed for himself, but he also called on his people to pray for him. He called for public petitions on his behalf to the God that "saves His anointed . . . with the saving strength of His right hand" (Psalm 20:6).
In the first five verses of Psalm 20, we see the prayers of people led by David. Not only were they led in faith, but they also followed in faith. The people of Israel focused their attention not on the battle awaiting their king, but on the answer readily waiting from their God: "May He send you help from the sanctuary and support you from Zion! May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your counsel!" (Psalm 20: 2, 4).
How did these people develop such faith, and how were they sure it would sustain them even in the most trying times? In the face of danger and death, how did David obtain the faith he needed for victory? David and his people were not born with great faith. It all began with a promise.
One of Webster’s definitions for the word promise is "to provide a basis for expectation." David and the other Israelites had a basis for expectation because of the authority of God.
C. S. Lewis writes about believing on the basis of authority:
Believing things ‘on authority’ only means believing them because you have been told them by someone you think trustworthy. Ninety-nine percent of the things you believe are believed on authority. I believe there is such a place as New York. I could not prove by abstract reasoning that there is such a place. I believe it because reliable people have told me so. The ordinary person believes in the solar system, atoms, and the circulation of the blood on authority–because the scientists say so. Every historical statement is believed on authority. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Spanish Armada. But we believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them; in fact, on authority.
When you submit your life and heart to Jesus Christ, you are placing your life in His hands based on the authority–or sovereign character–of God. His character is trustworthy, faithful, and full of grace. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary characterizes God’s promises as solemn pledges "to perform or grant a specified thing." Because God was not required to grant anything to sinful people, His promises and fulfillment of them are simply based on His character.
As you journey through life, you will continually be asked to accept and believe God’s promises on the basis of His character and authority. You can learn from the Israelite people who prayed for their king in Psalm 20:7-9: "Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God. They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stood upright. Save, O Lord; may the King answer us in the day we call."
Is there something God has promised you that you struggle to believe? Have you quit waiting on Him to fulfill His pledge?
The same doubts that plague you plagued David and the Israelites, but their response to the doubts ushered them into the presence of God. As the Israelites prayed for David, their eyes were directed to the Lord, and they were given a vehicle through which they could affirm their trust in the Lord.
Pray, and ask Him to help you trust in His authority. God will give you the faith you need to wait upon His timing for all things.
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