‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for…’ Hebrews 11:1 NKJ
There’s lots we can’t do on our own. Especially as Christians. Stuff like overcoming the world—see 1 John 5:4—can only be done with faith in God. ‘Faith’ is one of those words that’s not often defined for us (like ‘Hosanna’ or ‘Amen’… ‘Bless’…) But today’s verse gives a pretty clear definition of what faith is. What does it look like? (a) Being certain of victory. Back to 1 John 5:4. Our victory over Satan comes by faith, not by willpower and discipline. Faith comes from the Word of God, not from anything within ourselves. (b) Being certain of growing to be like God. Faith isn’t a one–time event that starts and finishes the moment you become a Christian. We keep growing in our faith. By learning. ‘So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’ (Romans 10:17 ESV) And by doing. ‘What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?’ (James 2:14 ESV) So much of this ‘faith’ business is about being ok with the future. This is not easy… if you’re struggling to see past things that worry you, head back to August 3 & 4. And soak in the knowledge that, as you spend daily time in the Word of God (try SoulFood), that God will build faith in you.
SoulFood: 2 Chron 32-34; Luke 18:1-17; Ps 119:145-160; Pro 22:14-16
word4U2day (an adaptation of The Word for Today authored by Bob & Debby Gass) is published under licence by UCB Australia. 2014 UCB International Ltd
