Day by Day

By Faith

Faith is our strongest virtue.  Without it is impossible to please God. In this world where we strive for so many things, the most important thing that we can attain is more faith.  When we pray, we often approach God with a laundry list of things that we desire. Rarely does more faith make the list. As we are reminded in Hebrews 11:33-36, it was by faith that the biblical saints were able to conquer kingdoms, administer justice, obtain promises, shut the mouths of lions, quench raging fires, escape the sword, and endure harsh sufferings and imprisonment."  

 Today we continue to prescribe more pills, have more affairs, buy more material possessions,  and dream of owning something bigger and better.  We continue to fight about our political differences, and our ethical compass continues to spiral downward.

Faith is a fight worth fighting for.  We don't need to have very much of it in order to make a very big impact on our spiritual lives and the lives of those who look to us for leadership.  According to Romans 10: 17, faith comes by hearing and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. With such a pervasive lack of faith among us, let us wonder what we are hlistening to day by day.  

Be Still And Know

 

 

This is the one that we have been taught to prepare for all of our lives. This is why we have rushed to the store in a mad detour for years to get eggs, milk, bread and a few other essentials. Still, no amount of last minute shopping could have prepared us for a storm of this magnitude.

 

Three and a half feet of snow can cripple Baltimore; a city that panics at the sight of flurries.  All the supermarket shelves are empty.  It’s Wednesday and church closings for Sunday are flashing across the bottom of the television screen.

 

Our new mayor of one week has ordered everyone off of the streets except emergency vehicles. A few brave souls keep shoveling out their cars and sidewalks trying to stay ahead of the snow.  The National Guard is making sure that anxious babies will have a warm Hummer to be born in, while traveling to greet exhausted hospital staff.

 

It is in times like these that we are reminded that we are not in control. Once again we have to depend on each other, reach out to help one another, and consider the needs of our neighbors. 

 

After playing in the snow, walking the dog, watching T.V., reading that good book, eating too much and cleaning out the forbidden closet; let us be still and draw closer to God. 

 

What a wonderful opportunity this historic snowstorm gives us to do what we say we never have the time to do. I hope that many will take advantage of this opportunity to read the Bible, fast and pray. These spiritual practices will strengthen us and give us  courage during challenging times like these.

 

What if it were to snow at this rate everyday for the rest of the week?  What if we were in Haiti instead of in Baltimore?  It is possible to have peace in the midst of the storm, if we would only be still and know that God is in control.