30 December 2009
Psalm 20, 21; 1 Kings 17:17-24; 3 John 1-15; John 4:46-54

God had already done a great miracle for this widow and yet now her son lay dead and she questioned both Elijah and his God. She initially told him she was baking one last cake and then she and her son would eat it and wait for death by starvation to come. She had no hope when she met Elijah and now she had put her faith in God, had seen His remarkable provision of oil and flour and God and the prophet had let her down in her son’s death. What she had once prepared for she now sought to understand in light of God and her faith. She had faith, she had given Elijah all she had left and the Lord had provided continually for them ever since, but now things no longer made sense to her. Elijah’s prayer was answered and her faith was strengthened. I believe that this too is coming like a little child and faith seeking understanding.
The man at Capernaum believed Jesus, took Him at His word and acted in faith. Jesus tells him that he won’t believe unless he gets a sign and the man hears the challenge and responds. He acts on Jesus’ promise, not waiting for the sign but hearing the word and walking in faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Cost of Discipleship that only he who is obedient believes and only he who believes is obedient. We can talk about faith all we want but until we are willing to take the step of faith in accordance with our beliefs we cannot lay claim to having faith at all. It can only be properly called faith if we act on it.

John speaks of “walking in the truth” as the measure of his joy. To know the truth and teach the truth is one thing, but walking in the truth is the measure of faith. What a delight it must have been for John that those whom he had taught were walking in that truth. Walking in the truth means taking risks and trusting God. Walking in the truth is standing at the Red Sea waiting for God to act, it is Gideon trusting God as he entered battle with a force that was a joke numerically, it is Jesus going to the cross believing in the resurrection from the dead and it is choosing to witness to one who was born of a virgin and resurrected from the dead to life everlasting by being willing to be fools for Christ.

Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.