Standing, Walking, and Running in Faith by Dan Spitz
Bayless Conley recently delivered a message about faith, which I want to summarize and consider how it applies as we stand for the restoration of our marriages and families. He presented the three postures of faith; standing, walking, and running. Faith is the major component, not only in standing for our marriages, but also in all aspects of our lives as Christians.
For some of us, our posture in faith at this particular time is to “stand.” Standing may be the posture of faith we take for a single event or a one-time circumstance that confronts us in our life, such as standing for the restoration of our marriages. And it is in standing that we realize that we are not alone and truly understand that God is with us. In fact, He has already taken up our cause and is orchestrating the necessary events to complete His plans, although they may be unseen by the natural eye. So as we stand still, God is positioning and repositioning things for us.
But standing does not necessarily mean that we don’t do anything else, because God often leads us to do something very specific as we stand in faith. For example, 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 obviously encourages us to praise God; to sing His praises and watch for the amazing things He will do when we praise Him. And Habakkuk 2:1 tells us to listen; God has instructions for us so we need to be aware and listen to His directions. In Job 37:14 God tells Job to stand still and consider His wondrous works. And as Job did that, remembering the wondrous works of God became an important matter in his rescue. If Job was able to look past his problems and troubles and give God glory for His wondrous works, surely we can. Regardless of how big our problems are, they are very, very small to our God.
God has led us to the point we are right now, and we are praying, believing and trusting Him in our situations. And since there is often nothing more we can do to cooperate with Him, we have to stand our ground with quiet confidence that He will indeed rescue us and perform and perfect all of His promises in our lives.
Walking in faith is something we must do every day. We must conduct our lives by what we believe, and not by what we see. Most of us struggle because of what we see going on with our spouses instead of walking in the faith we have in what we don’t yet see taking place. In Hebrews 11 we see Abraham walking in faith. He had no map, and no details; he was just called to go so he went. God has led us to where we are right now in our stand for marriage restoration, and we don’t know what is coming next or when the next step will come. So all we can do is continue to walk in faith, knowing that God will direct us according to His plan. And we must obey in faith because there are always blessings on the other side of our obedience. We have to walk in faith daily, because faith demands that we live our life in such a way that it reflects the knowledge we have of God from His Word. And we must maintain that faith in every aspect of our lives.
God often tests our faith by asking us to give up things that are precious to us. However, everything we offer God, He resurrects. So offering Him our marriages in a step of faith allows Him to resurrect our marriages into the God-centered relationship He desires for us and wanted us to have in the first place. Letting our spouses and marriages go to Him is a difficult task, but that’s what we MUST do in faith, confidently knowing and believing that God will do what He promises.
The third posture of faith is running. Running takes into account the big picture. We keep running the race for a lifetime; going the full distance. We have to continue running in faith through times of confusion, frustration, disappointment, and even in times of darkness. We can’t stop the race if things don’t turn out or haven’t gone the way we wanted them to that day, that week or even that year. The race is longer than a day, week, or year. Those are seasons and every season comes to an end. The race does not end unless we quit! And as we go the full distance of the race, we need to see the purpose, have patience and realize there is a prize at the end.
Our purpose is to give God glory by giving Him every area of our lives and surrendering to Him in total obedience to His will. As we grow in the knowledge and understanding of His Word, He will grant us the wisdom and discernment we need to make the choices that are pleasing and glorifying to Him. The people whose lives and achievements stand as solid examples and shine for the Lord’s glory, are those who endured and patiently stood, walked and ran their race out to the end. They are people who did not give up, who stuck with the race until they crossed the finish line. The race will be worth it all! The prize is all of the blessings and great rewards God will pour out over us. And of course, the grand finale is the gift of eternal life with the One who died for our sins in our place.
So as we demonstrate our faith, we need to stand and wait; not stressing, but waiting quietly and confidently for God to complete His plan. And while we wait, we are called to offer praise and worship to Him and consider the wondrous works He has already done in the world and in our individual lives.
So we need to continue our walk in faith every single day, as God opens doors for us, turning around when He closes doors and giving Him sacrifices when He speaks to our hearts to do so. And in obedience, we need to trust that God will resurrect EVERYTHING we sacrifice to Him and bring it all back into our lives far better than we could have imagined.
The race is on. We may have heavy things on our hearts that we are carrying; a bad day, a string of bad days, or maybe an entire season of awful things, but we must keep running and not quit. The finish line is where the prize is! God is waiting for you and for me! So don’t give up!
The following scriptures were used for the above text:
1 Corinthians 16:13 (NASB) – Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
2 Chronicles 20:17 (NASB) – ’You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 (NASB) – When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving kindness is everlasting.” When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.
Habakkuk 2:1 (NASB) – I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.
Job 37:14 (NASB) – “Listen to this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God.
Ephesians 6:13-14 (NASB) – Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NASB) – for we walk by faith, not by sight–
Hebrews 11:1-17(NASB)
The Triumphs of Faith
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.
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 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE.
13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (NASB) – For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
Hebrews 12:1 (NASB) – Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Philippians 3:14 (NASB) – I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 4:12 (NASB) – and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.