The Language of Faith

I feel so humbled but in a good way. Not to much of a rebuke but more a quiet yet firm reminder of what it means to have faith to be depended completely 100% on God. The language of faith is 'thank you', not 'please'. Please is the language of a beggar. Charles Price, in sermon of the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand was truly encouraging and firm reminder what the nature of faith is.

"They (the disciples) had forgotten a most valuable and fundamental teaching Jesus had given …. that He could do nothing by Himself[John 5:19,30]. The best His disciples were able to suggest was to send the people away so they could go to the surrounding countryside villages and buy themselves something to eat."

Phillip measures cost, "Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite." Charles Price had this to add,"Though we can be a professing ambassador of Christ, as the disciples were we may go to church on Sundays, say grace at meals, give to the needy, but inadvertently keep God at bay in our personal affairs even when times are tough. Relying on self, we can pace and ponder till the sun comes up, endure another sleepless night and still there is no resolve."

Andrew, only looked at demand in lieu of the limited supply in presenting the food the boy had. "But in this crowd of 5000 or more, there was a young boy and to this boy, Jesus was all-important. In his possession were five small barley loaves and two small fish, not significant at all in his hands but what about in the hands of Jesus? What will Jesus do with this food? We can only image what this boy felt as Andrew brought him face to face with Jesus and he handed over his food." “How far will they go among so many?”

When it comes to tithing, mission work, evangelism, ministry we only look at what we own but no what we can give to God. I will be the first to admit my own sense of guilt sometimes. Rather my response should be, 'Lord these are my gifts, money, time, take the little that I have and use it for Your will'.

The language of faith in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand according to Charles Price is found in John 6:11, "Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks," showing His utter dependence on the Father.

Interestingly, Price while concluding his sermon, he mentions the Last Supper."While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body.Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus gave thanks showing his dependence on God before taking on the burden of our sins.

If I were to try and eloquently state the language of faith, I would fail. Give credit where credit is due. Charles Price left this extract on the Living Truth Website:

"With every circumstance and crisis Jesus faced, He affirmed His faith by giving thanks, not after His petitions were answered, but before. Paul writes in Philippians 4 vs. 6, “Don’t be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 18,"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Thank you is expressing the quiet confidence of faith. It is showing dependency upon God, knowing He is sufficient. Jesus said in John 6 vs. 57, “I live by the power of the living Father who sent me and, in the same way, those who partake of me shall live because of me.”

"A crowd of 5,000, two small fish, five loaves of bread and no one left the gathering hungry that day. For our every need and every resolution to our trials, talk to Jesus and in the ‘quiet confidence of faith’, give thanks."

-Lloyd