NOT BY SIGHT
I think one of the hardest things to do, is not just say you have faith, but live by the faith you say you have. No matter what the world throws at you, peace can be yours, if Jesus is your Shepherd. The Bible tells us that, I am the good Shepherd my sheep know my voice. The only way the sheep would know the Shepherds voice is if He spoke to them often, and they also had to listen. Faith is the result of the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God. When we experience trials in life, one of the first things we do is ask ourselves why, what have I done to deserve this? The next thing we do is ask God to deliver us from the trials were experiencing. Often times God will answer our prayer, but other times He thinks its best if we go through it. It’s a whole lot easier on us if we get what we want, and not what God wants for us. It is only when we go through difficult times that we grow in faith. It is with 20/20 hindsight that we look behind us and realize how much stronger we are for the struggle we have been through.
For some reason people think that living by faith will guarantee, a carefree, worry free, problem free life. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as God often tests us and our faith by letting us go through trials. In I Corinthians we are promised: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Did you get the part that says but such as is common to man? We don’t go through anything in life that other people don’t go through, but God is faithful to bring us through.
Why then is it so hard for us to live, trusting God with everything in our life? Why are we such control freaks? God tells us in many places of the Bible: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. What more could a person ask for than to have someone take and carry our burdens for us? I have seen signage in many places stating, let go and let God. The trouble we have with that is the ‘letting go’, it is part of our ‘wanting to be in control all the time’ ego. God wants us to walk, talk, and trust him with our lives on a daily basis. He wants to provide for us, and be for us the Great Physician, the Counselor, a Prince of Peace, and Everlasting Father, the Bread of Life, Springs of Living Water etc. The question we have to ask ourselves, ‘what is holding us back?’
Let me ask you this one simple question. When you go someplace and sit down on a chair, do you see if it has four legs, or any legs are broken? No, you just sit down having faith that this chair will hold you up. You use faith when you turn the key in the ignition of your car knowing it will start. The same is true of flipping on a light switch, or using the washing machine. Why then, is it so hard for us to have faith that Jesus will carry us through our days, our nights, our problems, and our good times? One way to strengthen your faith is by reading the Bible. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. So the best way to strengthen your faith is by listening to God, through the Word of God, the Bible.
As parents it is imperative we teach our children to live by faith. The verse that was quoted earlier is the key to that, for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. When your children are infants you need to hold them on your lap and read to them age-appropriate Bible stories, graduating them up through their life in the Word of God. It should be as second nature to them as breathing. Through this, will they learn by your example, to live by faith.
We as authors have a semblance of faith in ourselves, to produce a best-selling book. Only by working at our craft diligently can we ever hope to attain that goal. How much more diligently then should we read the Word of God every day?
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Proverbs 28:20
He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Luke 16:10-12
For we walk by faith, not by sight:
II Corinthians 5:7
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, against which there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
I Corinthians 4:2
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised;
Hebrews 10:23
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
I Corinthians 16:13