When it comes to faith, I could not encourage you enough to read the Bible daily and to live by it. God tells us in the Bible “…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17 NKJV).” Our faith journey begins when we turn from our sins, believe Jesus Christ is Lord and in His death and resurrection, and sincerely turn to God and His ways. We are forgiven, promised a forever relationship with the Lord, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us, and we go forward learning to live for God according to His ways no longer for self according to the world’s ways. As we learn to love, pray to, seek, hear, obey, serve, honor, praise, worship, experience, enjoy, follow, and glorify the Lord day by day, there is a powerful lesson about faith to be learned and practiced!
I encourage you in reading the Bible to spend time studying the book of Hebrews chapter 11 which tells us of people of extraordinary faith in the Lord long ago. And herein is a powerful lesson about faith. Their faith was NOT merely an intellectual belief in God. THEIR FAITH SHOWED FORTH IN LOVE, IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD, IN SACRIFICE, IN FORSAKING ALL FOR GOD AND OTHERS!
The Bible makes clear we cannot please God without faith in Him. But faith merely in the heart is NOT the kind of faith to which God calls us. He calls us to a faith that begins with belief and manifests in our lives being totally surrendered and devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ!
FAITH IN THE LORD AND OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD ARE TO GO HAND IN HAND!
Please take the time to dig deep into the Bible daily – and please study Hebrews 11. Most of all, turn to and be totally devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ now and forevermore! May your heart and life be marked by love, faith, obedience, and all the Lord calls you to be and to do, AMEN!
Here is just a part of Hebrews chapter 11. Enjoy! Be inspired! Be encouraged!
“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “AND WAS NOT FOUND, BECAUSE GOD HAD TAKEN HIM”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:4-10 NKJV