By Faith

The phrase by faith appears 15 times in Hebrews chapter 11. We read in Hebrews 11:38…the just shall live by faith. But what is faith? The Oxford Dictionary describes faith as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Complete trust or confidence. I love this definition. It so aligns with our belief in Our God. We have complete trust and confidence in Him. We also read in Hebrews 11:3 that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. In essence, what we see is made from what we do not see. Faith is invisible. It is the hope that we have for what we expect to manifest.



Have you ever hoped for something, or had faith for something that manifested? How did it make you feel when the thing you were hoping for was manifested? You probably praised God. Those around you who may not have had faith, or may not have known your journey, may have thought what you saw as a blessing as just something that happened. They may not have known the prayers, the sleepless nights (although God tells us we should not stay up late worrying Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.) and sometimes even the tears that you shed while you awaited the manifestation.



Well if God does not want us to worry while we wait, what should we do? We should thank Him for what we are seeking and act as though we have already received it. Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.



Paul summarizes the behavior we should exhibit in Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. He tells us to be content where we are, never losing site and expectation of where we want to be.



Hebrews 11:8 by faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.



Imagine if you will, being told to leave your home, a place where you are comfortable. A place where you are familiar with the land and your surroundings. What would you do? Would you have faith like Abraham, or would you lean unto your own understanding as we so often do?



Genesis 12:1 -5 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.  So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.



The promises God made to Abraham are simply amazing. They are exceeding abundantly above all Abraham could ask or think, Ephesians 3:30. The second portion of the scripture reads according to the power that worketh in us. What power is the scripture referring to? It is referring to the power of God, His Holy Spirit and His Faith, the faith that He has given each of us. Romans 12:3…God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.



God has given us the measure of faith. You cannot say you do not have faith. Recognizing and acknowledging that you have faith is key. You must also use your faith.



Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.




God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. What is diligence? According to the Oxford Dictionary, diligence is careful and persistent work or effort. Careful, done with thought and persistent. Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Yes! Let us diligently seek The Lord.




When I think about persistence, I am reminded of Luke 18:1-8.  Talk about persistent. The widow in this parable was nothing if not persistent.





And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?





Where is your faith? Do you have faith like Abraham to venture out when God gives you direction without knowing where you may land? Are you diligently seeking what you desire, like the widow woman?



Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 



By faith you shall receive.

DO YOU KNOW THAT GOD HEARS YOU?

How many times have you sought the Lord? I mean really sought the Lord. Perhaps you were on your knees praying. You may have been in the midst of worshipping Him or praising Him and felt an insatiable desire to cry out to God, to be in his presence. Maybe you were studying His Word. Or, you may have been sitting silently, listening for that still small voice. Regardless of the method you use to seek God, we read in 1John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. Is it Gods will for us to seek Him? Of course, it is His will. As a matter of fact, He says in Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. We are to seek Him first. We’ve established that He wants us to seek Him, and because seeking Him is His will, when we seek Him we can be confident that He hears us.  Not only can we be confident, and know that He hears us, whatever we ask, and again, this is according to His will, we will have the petitions, those things that we desire, or ask of Him.


Do you know that He hears you? This is a rhetorical question. I am telling you God does hear you. He hears you when you ask according to His will. I don’t want to simplify this, but I want you to think about a time you placed an . You found an item you wanted to purchase, you placed your order and you received it. Let's delve into this a little deeper. After you placed the order you expected to receive it. If you had tracking information you may have checked to see when the item would arrive. Depending on the item that you ordered, you may have made plans for how you would use the item. Barring there was not a problem with shipping, you had no doubt your item would be received. 


Again, I’m not trying to simplify, nor am I trying to equate seeking God to placing an online order. What I am telling you is that you can take God at His word. We read in   Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.  His word will not return void, but will accomplish what He sends it forth to accomplish. If Gods word is true and will not return void, I dare say it is our unbelief that prevents us from receiving what we seek. Gods timing may not always align with our timing. But His timing is always perfect.


What are you seeking? Is what you are seeking according to Gods will? If your answer to these questions is yes, then my next question is do you know that He hears you? If you have again answered yes, as simple as it may sound, place your confidence in Him and expect God to fulfil his promise. Expect to receive the petitions, or the desires that you ask of Him.