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Each month the Glen Park Gospel Church produce a one page newsletter called the Green Leaf. It's available from the chapel each Sunday. Anything that may be of mild interest will be published here.

Why is Belief in God so Airy Fairy?

The Oxford Dictionary says airy-fairy means 'idealistic, vague or insubstantial'. If we look at a Bible definition of essential Christian faith we may be inclined to believe it, because it all appears to be so 'other-worldy.'

After all, if you were to buy the teaching, what do you get? It is called 'a faith' or 'the faith'. And a faith is a trust, a trust that what you believe for, you will get some day.

In fact the Bible it self says in Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who seek him." (ESV) And what's this faith it talks about? It is just trust! It is blind trust. In some ways we can't prove that what we are signed up for is really true unless we really believe it is! Or, if you like, take the punt!

The Parable of the Motor Car

But is that so very different to any thing else? In 2008 I decided that it was time to change my motor car. The car that I then owned had served me well enough, but as I got older, I was no longer comfortable in it on long trips.

Travelling overseas I rented a car for six weeks, and the car they supplied was not the vehicle I expected. In that car we motored from one end of the country to the other, diverting here and there, crossing from this side to the other, and back again. We sat in that motor car all day, day after day and I found it unbelievably comfortable. I grew in my conviction. I must have one of these!

And now I do own one of those - as it happens, the same make, the same model and most probably the same year of manufacture. For fourteen years I have been across our country and back again, up to the top and all the way down again, and my own car has been as comfortable and reliable as the other.

What was it that convinced me? It was the unexpected overseas trial that made me consider something that I would not have otherwise believed to be available.

The Offer

Psalm thirty four offers us much good on a certain condition. What condition is that? That we seek the Lord v4, that we look to Him v5, that we call to Him when in trouble v6, and put our trust in the Him. How simple the terms of His offer. What great benefit can be ours. But we so often, even in the time of trouble, prefer to not believe His offer, and believing not is old Devil's old lie. Put our trust in ourselves! How foolish is that!

King David, the psalmist, tells us how God works in v7. He says that "The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them."

Now the Lord God offers us the same reasoning concerning His call to put our trust in Him. He says try me! Here is a free sample. In Psalm 34:8 we read, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" (ESV). And that is true for anyone.

For a list of this month's readings, click on the above link for Quick Verse

The Three Year Bible readings will continue to cycle on this site as usual, click here.

For past features (since 1995) see our archive

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