If It Ain't Broke...

One of the essential lessons my wife and I learned throughout our many years together was the importance of having an active, simple, childlike faith in God and His Word.  Then when the worst in life hit us with the attack on her health, we didn’t think twice about what we needed to do.  We automatically placed our trust in Him and committed to each other to keep His Word as the final say-so in every decision that we would be faced with in the coming days, months and years.

As I’ve stated before though, not everyone thought that we had made the right decision.  These folks tended to see our simple faith as something that was… shall we say… less than intelligent!  On the positive, encouraging side, the Oxford dictionary defines “simple” as “plain, basic, and uncomplicated in form or nature.”  On the negative side, “simple” is defined as “abnormally low intelligence.”  To say the least, these particular individuals were less than positive and encouraging in their support of my wife and I.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that “For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  In our understanding of the Christian walk, grace is the foundational cornerstone of how we not only come into the faith, but stay successfully active in it throughout our lives.  The Message Paraphrase of the Bible seems to gives us the most simplistic and succinct rendering of this verse by stating: “Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish!  We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing!” 

It’s interesting to notate that the word “saved” in verse eight is the Greek word “sozo” which incorporates the ideas of salvation from sin, deliverance, protection, healing, well-being and to be made whole (physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and financially - Strong's)  When you think about it… it is one of the most inclusive words in the Christian tool box for the situations in life that we all face on a daily basis!  In line with this understanding, one could truly say and stand in faith on the fact that 

BY GRACE I AM:

*Saved
*Healed
*Delivered from any negative situation or need
*Protected from all harm (ie; COVID-19)
*Live in a continual state of Well-Being
*Have your Financial needs abundantly met
*And be made WHOLE in every area of your physical being as well as in all the areas of your life!

And according to our verse above, the only thing that we have to do is: “to trust him enough to let him do it.  (Because) It's God's gift from start to finish!  (Therefore) We don't play the major role.”  The only role that we are to take action on is to believe in Him and His Word to do what He says He will do with a SIMPLE faith.  Faith that doesn’t bend with the emotional twists caused by what might or might not be happening in the natural all around you.

This is one lesson that I know I must continue on with in this new season in my life.  I might even venture to say that this new chapter is much more difficult for me, than in experiencing all that we did throughout Piper’s final journey on this earth on this side of the Millennium Reign of Christ.  At least before… I had her!

So, you can see why SIMPLE is the word and plan that I intend to continue with until I see her again.  Afterall, even though we may have looked naïve or foolish in some people’s eyes, the facts tended to align with us as we continually saw the things that we were actively believing for, come to past from the very beginning days in Oklahoma when I was at school and continuing on through today... living in my new house while beginning a new phase of life!

What can I say?  Simple Faith… Simply Works!  

(What’s that saying about “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?) 

Have a wonderful weekend in these different times.  Stay healthy, keep your trust in the Word and say with me… “I am expecting my SIMPLE FAITH in God and His Word to keep me healthy and carry me through to His victory today!”