Gratitude Engenders Faith

Focus: Psalms 56:13 KJV - For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Our past gratitude has the tendency to engender our faith in future. If God has done some heavy lifting for us in times past, and we acknowledge that indeed, it was not through our power or doing that we came through, then are we encouraged by faith to rely on Him when we face any other upheaval in the future. The one who did the heavy lifting in the past is not likely to put such action to waste by abandoning us in our present or future predicament particularly when we show Him gratitude. He protects us not just for safety but for relationship.

King Herod launched a violent persecution against the church. He executed James, and seeing it pleased the people, he arrested Peter and put him under heavy guard of soldiers, intending to execute him next. Humanly speaking, Peter was a dead man walking. But God intervened. The night before his trial, an angel broke Peter out of prison in a miraculous, supernatural jailbreak. God literally delivered his soul from death. While Peter experienced spectacular physical rescues, his biggest personal struggle was keeping his feet from falling spiritually. Years earlier, he had catastrophically slipped and denied Jesus three times out of fear. After his resurrection restoration by Jesus and his miraculous prison escape, Peter's feet were firmly established. He didn't use his survival to go into hiding. Instead, he spent the rest of his life boldly walking in the light of the living—preaching the gospel openly, leading the early church, and maintaining a vibrant, unshakable walk before God until the very end.

Peter’s life shows us that God’s salvation is complete. He doesn't just save us from hell (delivering our soul from death) only to leave us to stumble through life on our own. The same God who rescues us from destruction is deeply invested in our daily routine, ready to catch our feet when we slip, so we can enjoy a bright, active relationship with Him. Build up your faith therefore in the one who loves you, who has promised neither to leave nor forsake you.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for lifting me out of danger in very critical times. I look to you now to remain with me so that I may never be overwhelmed by any trouble in life. Help me to show your kindness and faithfulness to others in my daily walk in you in life. Please do not let the enemy ever have occasion to turn me into a mockery through failure, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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