RISE IN THE ARMS OF FAITH

“…the just shall live by faith” – Galatians 3:11b

Unique blessings belong to those who long to RISE IN THE ARMS of FAITH: “…for the just shall live by faith” (Gal.3:9-11b). Life on earth is rife with many difficult moments, when even the sincerest of saints may fail to understand if there could ever be purpose in pain, treasures in pressures; or how tests could transform into testimonies of triumph! Even the strongest of Christians have to deal with the stress and strains of daily life. It is how we respond to troubles and temptations that define who we truly are as followers of Christ. God demands from us the response of Faith. As believers, we have faith in Him in the now and hope for the future – a promise that we will ultimately abide in His Presence forever. Now, we have been empowered by redemption to walk, work, and war by faith; that is, to LIVE BY FAITH!

The theme of today’s devotional comes from the hymn written by Fanny Crosby in 1975: ‘I am Thine O Lord.’ The moving lines of this hymn have challenged countless numbers of God's people over the ages to keep their lives dedicated to the Lord. There is a striking line: “I long to rise in the arms of faith”! What does this really mean? I believe it means: to let Jesus take the wheel of my life and to trust Him to catch me in His arms. Sometimes we are “too strong” for God to hold; and too stiff for Him to mold. We wrestle against giving up control to Him even in the most mundane issues of life. We find it hard to hand over the reins of our lives to the Lord of our destinies. We find it almost impossible to trust Him to do what’s best for us.

So, singing that we are ‘longing to rise in the arms of faith” is actually praying and crying to the God who hears and answers prayers (Psa.65:2; Matt.7:7). It infers committing oneself completely into the caring Arm of God. Faith in God means to trust in and rely upon, commit to the charge of, or confide in Him. The Arms of Faith are Jehovah’s Arms. To be in His arms, you must give up control, and rely upon Him for every aspect of your life. Paul declared: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal.2:20).

This evergreen and uplifting hymn should help us to stay focused on the ultimate destination of the believer – the Father’s Presence. We can’t possibly understand fully on this side of eternity, how much God loves and cares for us, except we’ve learnt to rise on the Arms of Faith. When at the end, by Faith, Hope, and Love, we’ve scaled the world’s dark valleys of the shadow of death, we’ll finally be able to “rest in peace with God”, and understand the depths and heights of His love for us.

“I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain: Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow’r of grace divine; Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine.

Oh, the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee.

As you continue to sing this song, remember that you are praying, God is listening, and He will answer!