Words of Malcolm Smith

I was reading on Bishop Malcolm Smith's website today and came across this in a post from the "A Visit With Malcolm" section.

My exhausted and despairing child, stop laboring to the point of utter weariness in your efforts to have faith!

Relax My child! You do not set My purposes in motion by your faith, nor does your faith initiate My will among men. You stumble and are exhausted because you believe that faith is an energy within you by which you can mobilize My hand. That is not faith in Me, but faith in your faith to get things done! It is your flesh faith that arises from your will power and has the agenda of forcing Me to do what you think I should be doing! Faith is not the result of your effort My child, a work of the flesh to be presented to Me for approval and reward.

It is not your puny flesh faith that draws Me out to work on your behalf but My love for you, and My faithfulness to the Covenant that My love has made.

Your faith is not to be found within you, but by looking away from yourself to look upon and rest in My faithfulness. It is never to be a struggle on your part, but always a restful response to My word that I purpose to do in My faithfulness to My Covenant. Great faith is a great sense of helplessness on your part coupled with a great expectancy of My faithfulness.

In Covenant I have sworn by Myself, by My life, by the blood of My Son. For Me to fail to perform My promises to you would be for My very Being to cease and all existence fall into nothingness. It is My faithfulness that makes your faith possible.

Your flesh faith is as weak as the changing flesh that gives it birth. Your faith born of the Spirit as you contemplate My faithfulness is as strong as My word sworn to you in My Covenant. This faith is not aware of itself and is not anxious continually checking to see how strong it is! It quietly keeps a steady gaze on My faithfulness upon which it rests.

Know this day My weary embattled child that all your fears arise from your trying to pit your futile attempts to have faith against the enemy. Instead send out against him My faithfulness and watch as he flees from you. Your faith wavers because you look at your behavior and worthiness for its authority instead of the authority of My Covenant faithfulness. You are exhausted trying to muster faith from within yourself and then filled with guilt that you are unable to achieve it.

Take your eyes off and away from yourself, your efforts and your worthiness to have and remain steady in faith and look only at My faithfulness. So shall your faith blossom and be strong.