Deuteronomy 1:32

"Handfuls of Purpose"

For All Gleaners

"Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God." Deu 1:32

Note the possibility of partial faith. There may be very considerable credence in divine promises, yet there may be one weak point. In this as in other respects the law holds good: he that offends in one point offends in all. Faith is no stronger than its weakest point. We must not expect to realise divine blessings if we bring a crippled faith to the exercise. It is sometimes supposed that faith is one act, and that as such it is either strong or weak. All consciousness and all spiritual history distinctly disprove this theory. We may have a general faith in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and yet encounter with strong doubt some particular injunction or promise which appeals to our self-sacrifice. We may believe in other men praying and have doubts about our own prayers. We may have general faith in Christian doctrine and yet be lacking in the particular faith which applies that doctrine to actual life. We should examine the whole line of faith day by day to see which points are weak and to amend them accordingly. What if we believe God and do not practise godliness? Where is faith then?