Faith By Works

The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year. (Joshua 5:12 NASB).

When Israel entered the Promised Land they no longer saw the miraculous provision of food.  They ate of the crops of the land.  God does not do for us what we can do for ourselves.  Obviously, I am not talking about salvation. This we cannot do for ourselves, but there is a working out of our salvation that comes by faith and effort.

Israel could plant and harvest for themselves.  They no longer needed the manna.  Miracles are a product of necessity.  This meant one thing for God’s people, hard work.  We are told in James 2:18 (NASB) to show our faith by our works. Works don’t save us but saved people do works.  In some circles it appears that seeking miracles has become somewhat of a spectator sport.  Yes, Jesus used miracles to confirm the Word, but even then the need was either unavailable or impossible to obtain in the natural realm.  Miracles are often a combination of the natural and the supernatural, such as the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14: 15-21 (NASB).  If we don’t exercise faith and do the possible we may never see the impossible.

The times that miracles seem to be eluding us, maybe we should ask ourselves if we are refusing to do what we can do, or trying to do only what God  can do.  Maybe the avenue to the miraculous is through that little four-letter word that some people consider dirty, work!  Do the possible and expect God to do the impossible.

Image use with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

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