Music Monday: “Faith.” By Jordan Feliz.
By: Debbie Waltz
On Friday, I premiered a new interview with Mark Presak from PJNET. TV; I would encourage you to go back and listen to it if you get a chance because his story of transformation is amazing. On the outside, he looks like your typical testimony-coming from a Christian home and growing up in the faith. But his story doesn’t end there; he struggles to find peace and contentment before finally recommitting his life to Christ at 40.
No doubt about it, Mark is doing amazing things for The Kingdom. But not everyone’s story is as life-altering, and that’s okay. God has created us for unique purposes, using our skills and talents to reach others within our sphere of influence and share Christ’s love. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us we are God’s masterpieces and created for a special task; specifically, it says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for as to do.” (NIV). We find another verse with a similar theme in Jeremiah 1:5, which says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Although the book focuses on Jeremiah’s prophecies against Israel for their sins, the chapter also has much to say.
Of course, many Christians are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, but there’s much more we can glean from the book.
The Feeling of Inadequacy in God’s Call
It is entirely normal to feel a sense of inadequacy when answering God’s call. After all, that’s what makes us human From the very beginning, Jeremiah questions his inadequacy for God’s call; he doesn’t believe he can do it. But is not alone. Remember Moses? He was so scared to go to Pharaoh that he tried giving every excuse “in the book,” Moses finally asked for someone else to go; instead of letting him off the hook, God concedes, allowing his brother Aaron to accompany him along for the journey.
Like Moses, Jeremiah asks God, “why me?” Jeremiah continues by citing he is too young and not good with words. But God has heard it all before. He reminds Jeremiah that he will not be alone and God will give him the words he needs. Jeremiah 1:8-9 say: “‘ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put my words in your mouth'”
The Role of Faith
This is where faith becomes so important. According to the Lexham Bible Dictionary, faith is a ” reliance upon and trust in God; a central emphasis in Christianity.” This means we no longer rely on ourselves for our daily needs but trust that God will provide. Hebrews 11:1 says,” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
This isn’t always blind faith; instead, God has proven himself faithful in previous circumstances, which increases our confidence that he will come through for us again. At the same time, though, this doesn’t mean everything will turn out as planned. Nevertheless, we believe that Jesus knows best and has reasons for how things turn out, even though we may not always understand it.
Remember what Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways..”
Jordan Feliz’s song “Faith” encourages listeners never to lose hope, believing God is always by our side through the good and the bad of this life. To view the music video, please go to: