Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Here we have the perfect answer to anxiety. However, faith such as this isn’t easy to maintain, for a number of reasons. Chief of those is that we have such a strong tendency to look at the physical, visible world, rather than the spiritual, invisible world. It is our privilege as Christians to do otherwise, (2 Corinthians 4:18) but that requires a choice, as well as developing a habit. The devil doesn’t want us to develop that habit, but that’s all the more reason to be intentional in making it ours. Another reason we have trouble with standing firm in faith is time. We operate in the past and the present, and have great difficulty grasping on the emotional level that God operates in the future as well, that all time is the same to Him, because He is outside of time but acts within it. That’s part of the lesson Jesus taught in cursing the fig tree. It seems unfair to us, when Mark explicitly records that it wasn’t the season for figs, (verse 13) but we aren’t to use seasons as excuses. When God says it’s time to produce fruit, we’d better produce! Of course, the biggest lesson Jesus wanted to teach here is that He indeed has all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18) It’s interesting how much trouble we have getting even that through our heads, but we’ve got a lot of company there. Jeremiah knew it as theory, but God had to remind him that it was practical fact. (Jeremiah 32:17, 27) When our faith encompasses those three factors (seeing the spiritual, understanding time, trusting God’s power and authority) then anxiety is totally out of the picture, and we walk in the peace and assurance that God desires for us.

I can write on faith, and some people say my faith is strong, but I am sharply aware of the immaturity of my faith. I particularly need to grow in the distinction between faith and presumption. Taking God for granted is never a good idea! However, I need to be absolutely assured that all that He has said to me is true, and will be visible at the right time. That can be hard to remember when bumps on the road show up as mountains in front of my eyes! I need to remember His amazing faithfulness in the past and rest assured that He will be no less faithful in the future, exercising the faith I have already been given so that it will grow stronger and stronger, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for His glory.

Father, thank You indeed for all that You have done over the years that has touched me directly. Thank You for what You are doing right now with the church registration and tax exemption. I pray that in the three weeks until the business meeting that we would get everything in place for finalizing the purchase of the land, with all the “i”s dotted and all the “t”s crossed. I pray that, much more than such physical considerations, we would grow more and more in focusing on You, offering You worship in Spirit and in truth, so that we may then grow in all the other areas that You intend, bringing in an abundant harvest, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!