Mar 22, 2013
How Faith Helps You Meet God
Samuel Ward
Samuel Ward was a pastor in England from 1603 until 1634, when he was arrested and put in prison for his commitment to preach God’s Word.
He was known for his boldness, and his passion to help people live by faith.
Here’s part of his sermon on how faith helps you meet God —
How Faith Helps You Meet God
“By faith put off your sackcloth and ashes, and put on the garments of joy and gladness. Let your clothes be white, and your head anointed with oil. Live to the fullest. Live today, live tomorrow, live, O Christian, forever! This you can do if you learn to use your faith.
“Do you desire to have a continual feast and rejoice always in the Lord? Let me prescribe a daily diet for you — a diet you should never neglect.
“Just as often as you refresh your body with rest and recreation, so cheer up your soul. Let your soul have two or three walks each day up Mount Tabor, that is, in some retired place of meditation and prayer. Go to Isaac’s field to meditate, or David’s closet.
Then What?
“Make use of your faith. This is the chief mystery of our spiritual life. Stir up your soul to talk with Christ. Consider the promises and privileges you enjoy.
“Think of them, roll them under your tongue, chew on them until you feel their sweetness in your soul.
“View them together and individually. Sometimes contemplate one in particular, or another more deeply.
“Consider how wonderful that your debts are cancelled, and how wonderful that God’s wrath is satisfied. Consider how happy and safe a condition you are in as a son of God, and how pleasant a state not to fear death and hell.
Do Not Leave The Mountain Until…
“Mingle these thoughts with prayers for grace and aid. Do not leave the mountain until your heart has been cheerfully warmed and revived.
“This is using your faith. You will find your soul saying “It is good to be here.” It is good to daily be here and often. Unstirred coals do not glow or give heat. The beauty of faith is its use. Don’t just have muscles, use them. Let a man diligently and thoroughly improve his faith and the joy it will bring him will be great.”
Comments? Thoughts?
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And here are some related posts you might find helpful –
- Five Promises To Help Your Times With God kk
- How To Overcome Prayerlessness kk
- Why Keep Praying When I’m Feeling Dull? kk
- When Bible Reading Doesn’t Help kk
(Picture is from Microsoft Publisher Clipart.)
“Make use of your faith…Consider the promises and privileges you enjoy.
“Think of them, roll them under your tongue, chew on them until you feel their sweetness in your soul.”
those sentences are great
blessings,
usama
I agree, Usama — loved those sentences. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
What happens when you lose your taste buds?
What a great question, Learning Every Day!
And that’s exactly what happens, isn’t it — we lose our taste for the things of God.
When I experience that, it encourages me to remember that the Holy Spirit can wake up my sleeping taste buds. He can once again remove the veil of unbelief (2Cor 3:18). He can enlighten the eyes of my heart (Eph 1:18; Psa 13:3).
So what I do is pray for more of the Spirit’s work (Luke 11:13), and meditate on Scripture, which is the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17).
As we earnestly pray and meditate on God’s Word, He will wake up our sleeping taste buds so we once again see and feel how satisfying He is.
I hope that helps. Let me know —
In Christ,
Steve Fuller
Your post tells us to make good use of our faith. Don’t just wait for God to do something but use your faith muscles.
Excellent summary, Shawn. And so true! We don’t wait passively — we pray, meditate, think, pray some more — and as we do that He will surely come and meet us.
What a glorious Savior!