Text: Galatians 3:1-3

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”

There are few things more unpleasant than starting your day off with a scolding but sometimes it is exactly what is needed. This text speaks so directly to the heart of many of our struggles as believers. I sometimes want to ask people the very same question when I hear how the approach dealing with their problems. I, in my own life, very often am guilty of living like the Galatians did.
It seems like we are able to exercise enough faith to believe that Christ was crucified for us and to accept His free gift of salvation and begin to walk as believers, but then after that we go back to living by our own effort and according to earthly patterns instead of by faith. The same God that sent His son to die for my sins is the same God that watches over me every moment of every day. He is the same God that covenanted with Abraham and fulfilled every promise to Him. He is the same God that exalted Joseph to the second highest position in Egypt. He is the same God that split an ocean in half so the Israelites could walk through it and then released all the water onto their enemies. There are countless situations where the Lord has proven himself to be a miraculous provider and sustainer of His people (I can think of many in my own life as well as those in the bible) yet we still have the nerve to look at our puny little problems and say, “Oh God, there’s no way out. What am I going to do?”
The question that frightens me is if my faith isn’t sustaining me through my trials or dry seasons than how do I know if I am really saved? The truth is, I don’t question that I am saved but what I do question is the quality of my faith I can walk in the reality that I have been saved by grace by believing in an unseen God but at the same time I don’t trust that He will provide for me in my hour of trouble or when my mind cannot see the answer to the problem. It’s foolishness. Paul opens this text with a most appropriate statement, “You foolish Galatians!”
If you scroll down to verse 11, Paul makes one of the most important statements to the life of any believer, “The righteous will live by faith.” When we read that we tend to think that it refers to the faith necessary to accept Jesus Christ as our savior. There is way more to it than that. The bible says live by faith. Faith in God’s providence should drive us constantly. It should affect our decisions, how we spend our money, where and when we buy a house. It should be the determining factor in all of our decisions, not just the ones that we can’t figure out for ourselves. I think it is easier to through ourselves on God’s mercy when we have totally run out of options but how much better it would be to go to Him as a first response instead of a last resort? Let us accept the challenge to live by faith, truly let faith in God’s promises drive us every moment of every day, in the valleys as well as on the mountaintops.

How to pray this scripture:

Dear Father in heaven, Lord I pray that you would increase my faith today. I repent of living a life according to the laws of this world rather than by your miraculous power, your supernatural provision. Forgive my foolishness, I don’t want live a life that is based on human effort. I want to live according to the plans that you have for me. I want to walk in faith, not just knowing that you died for my sins, but also knowing that you watch me every moment of every day and provide for my every need. All glory and honor are your Oh God, I praise you and I thank you, Amen.

Other Scriptures to read:

Galatians 3:11
Acts 3:16
Romans 3:27-29
Philippians 3:8-10
Hebrews 11:13

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