The Source of Faith

Monday, October 14, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

Job 23:8–12

When we read of the great suffering and hardship Job endured as Satan attempted to shake his faith and loyalty to God, we are amazed that he was able to maintain his commitment in the face of economic collapse, physical affliction, and being judged and critiqued by his friends. Job had every opportunity to doubt God’s goodness, but through all his trials his faith remained. The source of faith for Job is the same as it is for us. Though he did not have access to a full written Bible as we do today, Job’s faith was firmly grounded on the words of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

We cannot be people of faith without being people of the Word. The relationship with the Bible that builds faith is not casual, but committed. When David Livingstone made his trip deep into Africa preaching the gospel and looking for the source of the Nile River, he took extensive supplies with him. Everything he would need had to be carried by hand through very difficult terrain. Over time on the trip, recognizing the strain, Livingstone began discarding things that were not essential. He began the journey with more than two hundred books. He ended it with one—his Bible.

Today's Growth Principle: 

A faith that stands severe trials can only be built on a strong relationship with the Word of God.