How Can We 'Have Faith in God' When We're Ready to Quit?
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What Does 'Have Faith in God' Mean?
Faith in God means to trust God. To believe God for what you need. Look at God’s record. If you have been saved for any length of time, you know that your life has been mostly good. You also know that God shows up when you ask Him to and that He is right on time. You must have faith in God for yourself. Do not let man limit what God can do for you. I have heard of some things that God has done that are outside of what I would have believed at the time. I have heard ministers talk about exploits that God has performed in Africa and other parts of the world. It is all according to your faith. The Bible says you have not because you ask not (James 4:2-3). Take the limits off of God. Believe in God for more. Believe in God for the better. Little becomes much when you place it in the master’s hand. Do not let people dilute your faith. If it concerns you, it concerns God. I have heard ministers say that if there is an issue constantly on your mind then God wants you to solve it. That is why people started trying to solve global warming, hunger, homelessness, and other issues that constantly stayed on their minds.
What Is the Context of Mark 11:22?
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” God wants us to have faith in Him. The Bible was written so that we would know about God and have a record of His Son, how He requires us to live, and to give us victory over the enemy. If you read the Word on a regular basis, your faith will be increased. We have prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and apostles to edify the body of Christ. They are also here to perfect the saints and to work in ministry. I believe perfecting the saints means to build us up. I am not into this tearing down the saint’s stuff that some think is popular to do. People have been torn down enough. Some people tear themselves down by beating up on themselves. The enemy tears people down in their minds. That is why it is important to be a part of a ministry that you feel comfortable with, read the word, and pray.
Encourage one another. When you encounter someone who is really tearing themselves down, try to encourage them. Pray for them. People have gone through so much during this pandemic. A lot of people have suffered many losses. Some have lost many relatives over the course of a few years. Some have lost jobs, vehicles, homes, etc. Find some compassion within yourself to encourage people. Be kind. Yes, we still have fraud artists out there. Yes, some people are trying to take advantage of others during this time. The Bible also wants us to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). People will try and take advantage of your kindness. You must stay vigilant and awake and let God deal with them.
What Does the Bible Say about Having Faith?
The Bible says to have faith in God. This is one of my favorite topics. I know that God loves us and wants us to have faith. The enemy is running out of time and he and his imps want to discourage us. There are many Scriptures in the Bible on faith. Get yourself a good study Bible and go to the back where the concordance or index is. It should have a section on faith. If not, get on the Internet and Google “faith Scriptures.” You will find several Scriptures from the Bible that focus on faith. I have three serious study Bibles around the house. You can find Scriptures on what faith is. Go to Hebrews 11:1-40. This is one of my quick go-to Scriptures when I feel a little down and want to build up my faith. It starts out with “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report” (Hebrews 11:1-2). Other scriptures for you to check out are Romans 4 and Romans 5.
You must spend time building up your faith. It is really all that you must have to sustain your life. Most of us spend time together with people who uplift us and encourage us. Some of us have affiliations by kinship, organization, work, etc. Even those who have a tough time building others up, like to be built up. People like positive people. That does not mean that we do not need reality checks from time to time, but your relationship with someone should not always be a negative reassessment of what they are doing. If they are doing some negative things, just pray for them and hope that they will become organized before leaving this earth. Sometimes I ask God to convict people in their dreams. Some people are just hardheaded and do not want correction or instruction. Sometimes you just have to let go and let God.
I remember in the Bible, there was a man that looked up from hell and asked Abraham to send someone from the dead to tell his brethren about the dreaded place. Abraham told him that they would not believe. They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. Abraham said if they do not believe Moses and the prophets, they will not believe one who rose from the dead. You can read more on this in Luke 16:19-31.
God gives man free will. Sometimes I wonder if people think God doesn’t care about their actions, since they seem to be carrying on in their sinful ways. These people are Christians and act like one day they will not have to stand before a Holy and Righteous God and give account for their deeds. I just pray for repentance and revival because some folks seem to be out of touch with reality. The Bible is clear on how we are to live our lives. I do not care about what Hollywood is promoting or what’s trending right now. We better get our acts together. I like having fun and living my life like it is golden as well, but at the end of the day only what you do for Christ will last.
How Can We Have Faith in God during Our Hardest Days?
Sometimes, I have faith goals. A lot of the challenges that we have concerning faith are in our minds. Once we get past barriers in our minds, we know that God can see about us. Stop waiting until the last minute to seek God for things that you need. Have some faith goals and start with long-range plans. I am not saying that God will not show up quickly when you are in a bind. I know that often He will. Many times, things happen quickly and deserve a quick response from God. In times like this I say, “Now Father I know you do not want that to happen to me. I really need you to show up right now.” This is all based on a relationship because I have a relationship with Him already. The word says, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me” (Proverbs 8:17). First of all, do you love God? If you love God know that He loves you.
God is closest to you when you are in distress. If you are somewhere stressed out about a situation or crying and carrying on, God is right there. Sometimes He will draw near to you, and you will feel His presence. Or He will shift your hearing to let you know that He is listening. Do not be shy, tell Him what you need.
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