Daily Devotional For Friday, May 2, 2025
Good morning Southside and it is Friday. Yeah! Have you ever heard this line from this song: “I’m walking on sunshine . . . I feel alive, I feel the love, I feel the love that's really real”? If we were to change it to, “I’m walking on faith . . . I feel alive, I feel the love, I feel the love that's really real,” would this describe you? Why or why not? Most Christians will say they have faith, but that is not the issue here. The issue is will you walk in faith without any comfort, no risk of failure, wherever He may lead?
A lot of people in the Bible almost had to be forced to go with God. Moses had his excuses. Elijah had his excuses. Gideon had his excuses. Thomas had his. The Bible says this in Hebrews 11:1, in the Easy Translation, “This is what it means to trust God: We will be sure about the things that we hope for. We will be sure in our minds about things that we cannot even see.” If you can see it, you don’t need faith. Many Christians are realists – they want to see the final result before they will exult. They want to see proof before they take a risk of faith. Too bad that is not how God works.
Hebrew 11:6 says this, “You can never please God without faith, without depending on Him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely look for Him” (TLB). Hebrews 11 is called by theologians “The Hall of Fame of Faith.” Old Testament characters are given by name who took a risk with God and pleased God. One is Noah. Noah had never seen rain because the Bible says that in the beginning God causes water to come up from the depths of the earth. While we love Noah and the Ark and love telling our children the story, it took tremendous faith and risk to do this.
Not only did Noah please God, his obedience in the fear and risk of failure, being mocked, and joked about, led to our existence today. Stepping out in faith is never for us alone, it is for us to be used by God to bless others. It’s very narcissistic and arrogant to think God wants us to take a risk of faith to bless us only. Many Christians will not take a risk of faith because internally, they want God to answer all their questions, guarantee them success, protect them from suffering and ridicule. These people will never know what it means to please God and bless others.
We love Noah building the Ark. We love Daniel’s faith resulting in the lion’s den. Daniel had no prior proof he would be spared. We love Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They had no prior proof they would be spared from that fiery furnace. We love David. He had no prior proof Goliath would fall. Others stepped in risky faith and suffered for it. Stephen, Jeremiah, Nehemiah, Esther, Paul and the disciples. Every sports team that hits the field or the court, does so with the faith they will win. Even if the score says otherwise, I think they did win because they tried. They took the risk. Where’s your faith? In you or in God?
Assignment: This week ask God to give you something that requires you to take a risk of faith with no promise of escape from failure and suffering or join HIm where He is already working and is inviting you to join Him.
Scripture To Meditate On: Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (NKJV).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I know I live more by sight than by faith. I know that I cannot please you without unhindered faith. Please forgive me when I want comfort over obedience, success over the risk of failing and praise from others rather than pleasing You. Lord, call me today as You have called so many before me. Give me the courage to risk it all for You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly