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Faith’s Enclosure

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The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.

We have discovered that self-centeredness, and fear act as enclosures in our lives limiting the heights we can attain through faith. When Jesus is drawing us to where He is in the dark – we have nothing but self-centeredness, and fear keeping our faith enclosed. Self-centeredness, and fear hold us to the ground of what we think we see and understand. We believe that the dark, unseen, unknown abyss we are being challenged to stretch our faith towards will only “reward” us with emptiness. Graham Cooke refers to this as the hiddenness of God. He states: So while manifestation takes place in our reality; hiddenness happens in His. And hiddenness is what draws us into a new place in the Spirit. Because of this, we all have to learn to walk by faith, not by sight. When God is manifested toward us, He is so in a tangible way. We can feel Him. We access Him emotionally. We laugh, we cry, we feel as His peace declares His heart and joy in us. His love often  overwhelms us, and we feel gratitude and praise as a tangible expression of our response to His Presence. Rejoicing, thanksgiving, praise, worship, and adoration—they are all physical indications that our emotions are fully engaged in blessing the Lord. That’s because God’s manifest Presence is both physical and emotional. It sets us free to experience God fully. However, when God is teaching us to walk by faith, not by what we feel, He withdraws from our emotions. He hides from our feelings. So instead, we have to take on trust that He is with us. In His hiddenness, we learn to believe that “God will never leave us or forsake us,” and we establish a pattern of simple faith that “He is with us always.” God has not left us — he has only withdrawn from our feelings for the purpose of establishing trust and simple faith. It’s a tough lesson initially, but also immensely rewarding. It is a key discipline to learn, and one that the Holy Spirit is so brilliant at teaching us. Perhaps the simplest way to explain it is to say that: Manifestation is a time of blessing, while hiddenness is a time of building.

Be encouraged that in the hiddenness of seeking Jesus outside the camp, pursuing for the unseen as if it is seen, that Jesus is simply building your faith. Like the impala you will never know how far you can jump until you take your eyes off of your enclosures and trust that God will meet you as you take that leap. What are your enclosures? Weariness, pain, tiredness, spiritual dryness, feeling distant from God, anger, unforgiveness, emotional hurt, or lack of feeling? Whatever the enclosure or limitation, build your faith by reaching past it. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 states: Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Your enclosures, or perceived limitations, are actually opportunities to “exercise,” and train, your spirit man to be strong like Jesus.

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Author Scott Sauls recounts: There’s a Groucho Marx skit that I love because I relate to it so much. In the skit, Groucho is having a conversation with a friend, in which he goes on and on (and on and on …) about himself. In the course of his continual chatter about himself, he slips into a brief moment of self-awareness and apologizes to his friend for talking so much about himself. He politely says to his friend, “Well. Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. What do you think about me?” 

Throughout Scripture we see two scenarios play out. One involves God and an individual who chooses to let God be their Center. Once that choice is made it takes our breath away as we watch, time, and time again, what only God can do. The second scenario only causes us to wince and groan at the agony of their defeat. Once again the scenario involves God and an individual. Only this time the individual chooses themself to be their center. Defeat, tragedy, and destruction often accompany such a scenario.

Recently I’ve been preaching about how to grow faith, and what is an enemy of faith – our fear. But there is something even more insidious than fear. You may ask, What is that? The answer is quite simple: Self-centeredness. Self-centeredness, is at the root of most of all of our fear. It robs us of faith as we focus on what we can, and cannot do. When Moses was called by God to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage he repeatedly gave excuses based solely on his self. Ultimately, Moses self-centeredness got the best of him, disqualifying him from entering the Promised Land. Yet, we see other biblical examples of triumph. When Jesus was in a similar wilderness, led by the Spirit, Jesus had a showdown with the author of self-centeredness: satan himself. In one of those temptations the Scripture records satan taking Jesus to the top of the temple. Scripture records: Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God. (Matthew 4: 5-7)

The test of praying and seeking God through fasting; the trial of meeting Jesus outside the camp is self-centeredness. Jesus passed this test through faith. Satan wanted Jesus to center on Himself (He was God’s Son). But Jesus remained fixed by faith, focusing instead, on His Father. Recently I recounted how I was challenged to pray for a man who was having difficulty walking. Instead of choosing Jesus to be my Center I focused on my self. Once that focus was locked in – faith withered. I flunked the test. Henry Blackaby of Experiencing God states: “Throughout Scripture God takes the initiative. When He comes to a person, He reveals Himself and His activity. That revelation is always an invitation for individuals to adjust their lives to God. None of the people God encountered could remain the same afterwards. They had to make major adjustments in their lives to walk obediently with Him. God is the Sovereign Lord. Strive to keep your life God-centered because He is the One Who sets the agenda. When you are God-centered, even the desires to do the things that please Him come from God’s activity in your life. What happens when we see God at work? We immediately become self-centered rather than God-centered. We must reorient our lives to God. We should learn to see things from His perspective. We need to allow Him to develop His character in us.

To seek Jesus through prayer and fasting, and join Him outside the camp, is an invitation to abandon all self-centeredness. Faith grows in us from a choice to abandon self-centeredness, and fixing our gaze on Who God is. He is Immanuel – the God Who is Present in your circumstances, even when the darkness of His Presence grows darker.