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Bible Passage: Philemon 4-5
That precious heirloom from Grandma is protected from all kinds of harm. You never let the children play near it. It is enclosed in some type of protective case. If that heirloom is some type of glass object, it might be placed in a locked cabinet. If that heirloom is a quilt; it may be placed in a wooden chest and hidden away. There are so many things that need protected at any cost. Often times that protection necessitates hiding away that precious object. Sometimes we think the same thing about our faith. Our faith is so precious we sometimes feel the need to protect it as if it were a jewel.
A few years ago, there was a little girl I knew who had lost her puppy in a small town. I had so much wanted to tell her that my wife and I would pray that she’d find her puppy. Did I do it? No! I didn’t tell her because I wanted to protect her faith. How weak would her faith be if I prayed for her puppy to show up and it didn’t?There I was in all my glory, “Brian, Protector of Faith.”
Later that night, we found out that an over zealous dog catcher had taken the puppy to the nearest pound thirty miles away. Her puppy was found! My thoughts quickly turned to the sadness of a lost opportunity. How strong might her faith have grown if I had only told her we were praying for her puppy to be found? As I now think of it, God gives us second chances. I may just go back to Crowell, TX one day soon and tell her about the big part God played in bringing her puppy back.
Please don’t ever forget that faith is something that needs to be exercised. It needs to be used and expressed, not hidden like a precious jewel that can only be taken out of its case once in a while.
Allow me to close with the following Bible passage: “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus…” –Philemon 4-5
Let your faith out of its box once in a while! Take it for a walk! Let it shine so bright that people everywhere hear about it, and see it.
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