A Game Of Inches                          10-4-14

 4 "Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Hab 2:4 (NASB)

This is a football Saturday up here in K-Town. Earlier, I watched our beloved Vols lose one they probably should have won. Now, in the other games that I am watching, that worn out cliche that is the title of this message is,once again, being proven true. Dropped passes off the fingertips, missed first downs by "just inches," a bobble here, a slip there. Played on 100 yard field, in gargantuan stadiums, running up and down the field of play, the victor and the vanquished being determined literally by a few inches here and there. It reminded me of a  Christian cliche from years ago. Remember this one? "The most difficult twelve inches to traverse in this life is the twelve inches between your head and your heart." We read God's truth in His Word about how we should live, but, many times it's a disconnect isn't it? Or how often is there a circumstance staring smack down the barrel at us, daring us to believe God at His Word. The Lord speaking to our hearts, "Do it this way," or even better, "Leave it alone and let Me take care of it." Our sense of reason and responsibility screaming at us that it can't be right. We hear in our spirits the all too familiar,"Did God REALLY say that Ronnie?"We tell ourselves that we haven't heard God right. We begin to replay and rethink His Words in our hearts. We put our hands to a situation in a feeble attempt to fix something that only God has the fix for. Consequently, many times we talk or reason or "fix" ourselves right out of the blessing that God had in store for us. Has that happened to you? It certainly has to me.

How should we then live? The nickel answer? By faith of course. (smile)

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7
Heb 11:6-7 (NASB)

Only one problem. It's just not that simple is it?
As my good buddy is apt to say,"It's minor surgery when it's you, but, it's MAJOR surgery when it's me!" There's only one way that I know to make that twelve inch journey from your head to your heart. Keep at it.... Keep at it.

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:16-17 (NASB)

You have to hear the word. You must hear God's written Word. Over and over again. Then over and over again. Until that promise that you are reading about and hearing about in your head becomes a real thing in your heart. But then, you must hear from THE WORD. THE LIVING WORD. We must get alone with God. We must pour our heart out to Him and ask Him for grace to believe Him and His Word. Your head isn't going to like it. Your flesh is going to holler. But, if we will keep seeking. If we can keep trusting HIM instead of ourselves, we can make that twelve inch journey from the head to the heart. Then we will understand that faith, like football is a game of inches.

89  Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.
Psalms 119:89-90 (NASB)

God Bless