First Sunday Meditation: Walking By Faith

"For we walk by faith, we regulate our lives and

conduct ourselves by our convictions or belief respecting

man's relationship to God and divine things, with

trust and holy fervor; thus we walk

not by sight or appearance."

11 Corinthians 5:7

Save Me Lord
(2003)

Simon Dewey
(1962-
English-Canadian artist

A CRUTCH?

Have you ever heard skeptics say that the Christian faith

is nothing more than a crutch-that the only reason people claim

to trust Jesus is that they are weaklings who have to 

 make up a religion to get by?

Apparently those skeptics haven't heard about a doctor in 

one Far Eastern country who spent 2 1/2 years in jail being "reeducated"

because he professed faith in Christ. Then, after his release, he

was arrested again-this time for his efforts at his church.

And perhaps those skeptics haven't heard about Paul.

After trusting Christ, he was arrested, flogged, mocked, and shipwrecked.

These believers were not looking for a crutch. No, they had something

deep and essential in their hearts.

They had a personal relationship with God-a relationship born of faith

in the work of Jesus on the cross.  As a result, they became children of

the King-eager to sacrifice everything for the privilege of proclaiming Him.

They were not limping along looking for something to hold them up.

A crutch? Hardly. Faith in Christ is not about safety and caution.

It's about believing Jesus and trusting Him no matter what.

It's about taking up a daily cross and living for the Savior.

"And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me,

let him deny himself and his own interests and take up his

cross daily and follow Me, conform wholly to My example

in living and, if need be, in dying also."

Luke 9:23

"A Crutch?" 

 By Dave Branon
(1951-

 American Christian writer/editor

Our Daily Bread For Personal and Family Devotions

(December 2010)