What Faith Does

Faith makes life possible in both natural and spiritual ways. For example, by faith we pursue education or training, believing it will help us get a job.

By faith, I pursued a relationship with the man I would marry, believing him to be trustworthy. He proposed, I accepted, and he proved true in fifty-two years of marriage.

Faith is a basic requirement. By faith, we believe God exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

People of faith are steady, not flighty. They’re focused on fulfilling a desire or goal. We’ll look at examples in the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11).

Faith can help us do three things: 1) Persevere, 2) Endure, and 3) Never Give Up.

Perhaps because I’ve lived in the Southwest desert, I admire Noah and his three sons for building a huge ark in a barren land. There was no water in sight, and rain was unheard of (Genesis 6:5-9:29). What an example of perseverance (Hebrews 11:7).

Mankind was so wicked, God was sorry He had created them. Yet, Noah was recorded as a blameless and righteous man who walked with God (Genesis 6:5-9). He was a misfit!

When you’re swimming against the current of wickedness, continue to persevere. God sees you, too. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous . . . (Psalm 34:15).

From childhood to old age, Moses is an example of endurance. His life was full of challenge and change (Hebrews 11:23-29). He wrote the first five books of the Bible, so we learn about his life there.

David was the man who never gave up. As a young shepherd, he was anointed to be King (1 Samuel 16). It was years before this happened, and often he was running for his life. As king, he had an affair with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and even had Uriah murdered (2 Samuel 11-12).

But when God sent the Prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin, he humbled himself and asked God for forgiveness. Read his prayer in Psalm 51.

By faith, choose to persevere, endure, and never give up. That kind of faith will be rewarded on Judgement Day when we will be judged for our deeds (Revelation 20:11-15).

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How To Help Your Faith Grow

Growth is an important part of our lives, both natural and spiritual. Healthy things grow and are a source of joy. Just ask any dedicated gardener.

God has given to each person a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Jesus said even faith the size of a mustard seed is important (Luke 17:5-6).

Jude 20 tells us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith, the basis of our spiritual life. But how? Let’s look at three possible ways:

ONE:  Know and Believe God’s Word:  God’s word is forever settled in heaven, and His faithfulness endures to all generations (Psalm 119:89-90).

We must hear the Word (Romans 10:17). It’s wonderful to get to attend church or hear God’s word taught over the airwaves, but we must also get into God’s word on our own (Psalm 119:105, 130, 133).

Knowing God’s word helps us to obey His will. That’s how we show our love for and our faith in Him (John 14:15).

TWO:  Be Encouraged by Testimonies of God’s Goodness:  Not only is God an ever-present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1), but faith in God brings about marvelous accomplishments. Be encouraged as you read testimonies in God’s “Hall of Faith,” Hebrews Chapter Eleven.

Testimonies are just personal stories of how God has worked in someone’s life. As we share, we build up one another’s faith and provide comfort where needed (1 Thessalonians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Even the great Apostle Paul was encouraged by reports of the steadfast faith of believers in the places He had ministered (1 Thessalonians 3:6-8).

THREE:  Review How God Has Worked in Your Life:  First of all, be thankful for your salvation (John 3:16-19). What a marvelous gift. We don’t have to work for it; however, after we are saved, the good works we do are to bring glory to Him, not us (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Personally, I’m thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the One who leads us into all truth (John 14:16-17, 16:13-15).

I also thank God for every good thing He has brought into my life over the years. I don’t believe in luck, fate, good karma, or horoscopes. Scripture says every good and perfect gift comes from God our Father above (James 1:16-17).

Read your Bible and mark verses that speak to you. We’re not cookie-cutter Christians. God works with us individually. How awesome is that!

Pixabay: Soil, Seed, Seedling image: Plnatbest.

How To Know True Love

I’d say most people think of love as an emotion. February 14^th is Valentine’s Day in the USA. Restaurants, chocolate shops, florists, and card shops do great sales in honor of the day.

These things are enjoyable, but not long-lasting. True love means taking action toward the best for someone other than ourselves, not one day a year, but every day!

True love is important. True things are genuine, not false. They can be trusted. True friends, for example, are faithful and loyal at all times. So-called “fair-weather friends” tend to fade away when challenges arise.

Colossians 3:12-17 lists some characteristics of love. It’s encouraging to know that Christians have Christ to help them live with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

To “forgive as the Lord forgave you” (verse 13) clearly leaves no room for resentment or vindictiveness. If you want peace, forgiveness is one way to get it (verse 13-15).

I love reading my Bible. No matter how many times I re-read scripture, it always seems fresh and new. This week, that was Romans 12:9-18 as I considered “what is true love?”

It begins by saying love must be sincere (verse 9). That matches the description of true love above (in paragraph four). Living in harmony with one another (verse 16) leaves no room for pride, conceit, or a haughty spirit (verse 16).

As much as possible on our part, we are to live at peace with everyone (verse 18). Isn’t it nice to know we are not held responsible for rough times if others choose not to respond to our efforts of forgiveness or reconciliation?

Please read First Corinthians 13:4-8 for yourself. It’s a classic section on love that begins with love IS and continues with what love IS NOT. The conclusion is that “(true) love never fails” (verse 8).

This kind of love is what makes marriages last for decades and childhood friendships endure into adulthood.

Please, enjoy the emotions of love, but look for the actions of true love if you want something that lasts.

Pixabay: Hearts, Red Hearts, Background; MissMilly.

  

One Way to Deal With Depression

Did you know King David did not write the entire Book of Psalms? Let’s look at a couple of encouraging things written by the sons of Korah.

First, Korah was a Levite and spiritual leader who led a rebellion against Moses. When Moses sought God for an answer, that rebellion did not have a happy ending. (If curious, read about it in Numbers 16:1-35.)

In David’s time, he appointed men from Korah’s clan to serve as choir leaders. That line of temple musicians continued for hundreds of years (1 Chronicles 6:31-38; 2 Chronicles 20:18-19).

To me, that shows you can choose to serve God, whether your forefathers did or not.

Next, let’s consider depression and discouragement. These emotions are nothing new.

When my piano students used to get frustrated at making a mistake, I’d say, “It’s good to know you made a mistake. Now you can correct it.”

We may not always know why we feel discouraged or depressed, but it’s OK to ask, “Why?” It means you’d like to make a change

The psalmist asks: (1) “Why am I downcast, (2) Why am I uneasy, and (3) Why has God forgotten me?” (Psalm 42:5, 9, 11). But he doesn’t stop there. He remembers previous days when God seemed near, and he enjoyed going to church and praising God.

He declares he’s thirsty for the living God (Verse 2). Physical dehydration is serious, and spiritual dehydration isn’t any healthier. Physical dryness is improved by drinking water. Spiritual dehydration can also be helped.

It’s good to be honest with yourself. The psalmist asked hard questions, but then he decided to move in a positive direction: (1) He remembered the good things God had done (verse 6-8), and (2) He encouraged himself to put his hope in God (verse 5, 11).  

Paul also encouraged us to move forward and find peace: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6-7).

Like the psalmist said, “*Put your hope in God.”

*Remember, if you try the psalmist’s approach, but are not able to deal with depression or discouragement on your own, talk to a spiritual leader or professional counselor. We are put on this earth to help one another.

Pixabay: Rain, Nature, Window; RichardsDrawings.