Several months ago, I was very blessed to be asked to write a short article for a local magazine that would be an encouragement during this horrific storm we call Covid 19. I call it pure evil unleashed on a world where faith in our God is weak in the hearts of many. It’s easy to acknowledge Him as an existent being, but that ain’t no big thing…. “ even the devil believes in God and he trembles”. (James 2:19) But God asks for much more than mental assent. He reminds us that “without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him… “(Hebrews 11:6) “We must believe that He is AND that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Most of us have the “HE IS” part down pretty well, but does He really reward those who diligently seek Him? That’s where faith is weak. We have been told so much that is in error that we don’t know what to believe for sure. UGH! So, on Facebook, I see so much unbelief and error from Christians that it makes me crazy!
We need encouragement and facts that we can take to the bank… for sure…. that we can put our full weight on no matter how strong the storm gets. There is a fearful world out there looking at Christians wondering if we have the answers. Sadly, our message is about as strong as a limp noodle! We seem to have little to offer as we shiver behind our masks while hiding in our houses. For that reason, I think I need to do a little cheerleading for the children of God. Yea! Go Team!!! We have got this…. You and God are always a majority no matter the trouble! This is such an opportunity to bring people to Jesus… let’s rise up and do this! We have good news! We have the promises of God! !
This is a part of a past ferret adventure, “What’s In A Name”, with a bit of a twist on it. So back down the ferret trail we go!…
THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES
The storm was huge! The winds were fierce, waves were lapping over the sides of the boat, filling it with water. No matter how hard the men rowed they couldn’t get out of it and no matter how fast they bailed the water, they couldn’t stop the deluge. All the while, Jesus, who was with them, was sleeping peacefully in the stern of the boat. The disciples woke him shouting, “Don’t you care that we are sinking?” Today, it seems that we are in a storm of mammoth proportions, we have a boat load of people we are concerned about, our family, friends, neighbors, and community. And we are rowing as fast as we can and bailing water to stay afloat, all the while, we are worried and praying for God to intervene and calm the storm and yet it rages on. But, honestly, are we certain of His will and His intentions or do we doubt like the disciples with little faith? In Hebrews 11: 6 God tells us “without faith, it is impossible to please Him”. Faith is the confident expectation that what you ask, is God’s will and He will perform it. In Matthew 7, Jesus described overcomers in the kingdom as those who built their house on a rock, a firm foundation so that when the storm came the house was not moved. The house is shaking for sure right now, but Jesus, of course, is our Rock and His words, His promises, are the anchor in our storms.
For many of us these days, Psalm 91 has become the litany in our prayer time. The promises are precious, especially in regard to the plagues that are lurking in the darkness. We often declare, “No evil can over take us or any plague come near our dwelling… for God has given His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways”… and I say Amen! BUT…do you really believe it? Would you stake your life on it?
Did you know that God gave us an inside secret in that Psalm that will bring Him into our storm for a certainty? In verses 14-16, God begins to tell us what He will do for us because we love Him and because we know His Name. He will rescue us from harm, set us above the danger, He will answer our prayers, be with us in the trouble, honor us and satisfy us with a long life. He will show us His salvation! The word salvation is the name of Jesus in Hebrew… Yeshua! He will show us His Yeshua! In other words, He will demonstrate Yeshua to us. Hummm, what does that mean?
Jesus and His name are one. In His Name is His perfect will for us. So, what is in that precious Name? The Hebrew, of course is Yeshua, in the Greek it is either Iesus or Jesus. Both names mean the same thing. The first part of His name… Ye or Je… translates GOD. The ancient root word in Hebrew is “shua” and in the Greek it is “sozo” from which comes “sus”. In both languages, that root means … DEFENDED, DELIVERED, PROTECTED, PRESERVED, VICTORIOUS, AVENGED, PROSPERED, HEALTHY/ HEALED AND WHOLE/SOUND WITH NOTHING MISSING, AND NOTHING BROKEN. When you know His Name, you know His perfect will for us. When you call on that name He will demonstrate it for you by fulfilling everything that is in it. He will show you His Yeshua!
What a faith builder! Let me share some scriptures with you to increase your faith…
John 14:13-14 (TAB) …”I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in (within) my Name [as representing all that I AM]… [Yes] I will grant [I, Myself, will do for you] whatever you ask in (within) My Name [as representing all that I AM].”
I John 5:13-15 (NKJ) … “These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us; And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”
II Corinthians 1: 19-20 (The Voice Bible) “For the Son of God – Jesus the Anointed whom we…have preached to you was not both “yes” and then “no”. With Him the answer is always “yes”. In Jesus we hear a resounding “yes” to All of God’s promises. This is the reason we say “Amen” to and through Jesus when giving glory to God.” (Do you get that? All the promises of God are a resounding yes! Not yes, no or maybe. That means if it is in His Word, you can stand on it and believe Him for answers!) So…. Having done all to stand, STAND! Woop! Woop!
Ferret of Faith 