Matthew 17: 24-27; Mark 11:22-24
Many times, in our lives, we come against daunting circumstances with some threatening to overwhelm us. It will look as if we are down completely. In the midst of it all the Lord may not come with our expected solution but with a simple instruction. And the instruction may appear foolish. Consider the scenario in today’s text. How does fishing correlate with paying tax?
Peter had been in the fishing business all his life, but he had never before caught a fish with silver in its mouth. In his reasoning, he would be tempted to challenge the instruction! How-ever, the Master does not want us to reason things out, for carnal reasoning will always land us unbelief. He wants us simply to obey. “This is a hard job,” Peter must have said as he put the bait on his hook, but since You told me to do it I will try”. And he cast his line into the sea. There were millions of fish in the sea, but every fish had to stand aside and leave that bait alone and let the fish with the piece of money in its mouth come up and take the bait.
Do you not see that the words of the Master are the instruction of faith? It is impossible for anything that Jesus says to miss. All His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). If you will only have faith in Him, you will find that every word that God gives in life. You cannot be in close contact with Him and receive His Word in simple faith without feeling the effect of it in your body, as well as in your spirit and soul. His command is that we get the word and do whatever we are instructed. Just obey. However simple: just obey. Even when foolish: Just obey.
All lack of faith is due to not feeding on God’s Word. You need it every day. How can you enter into a life of faith? Feed on the living Christ of whom this Word is full. As you are taken up with the glorious fact, and the wondrous presence of the living Christ, the faith of God will spring up within you. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17)
“He who believes in Me” (John 14:12)- the essence of divine life is in us by faith. To the one who believes and obey, it will come to pass. We become supernatural by the power of God. If you believe, the power of the Enemy cannot stand, for God’s Word is against him. Jesus gives us his Word to make faith effective. If you can believe in your heart, you begin to speak whatever you desire, and whatever you dare to say is done. You will have whatever you say after you believe in your heart. (See Mark 11 :23-24,)
MEDITATION: Just believe. Just obey. Therein you find rest.
