The three most common areas in which we seek God’s blessings are health, relationships and finances. God promises us that all of our needs will be met in Christ Jesus (Matt 6:31-34), but we must come to Him in faith, that is trusting that He will provide.
We are trusting in Him to deliver what He has promised because He is faithful and true. We sometimes get off-track and put our trust or faith in the promise and forget about the one who made the promise. We should hope in the promise which produces an expectation, and faith in Jesus who gives us the assurance.Show More
The point that faith requires doing something is well made in the book of James. First look at James 1:6-8, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways”.
We must be steadfast in our faith in God. If our faith is in the promise then circumstances will cause our faith to waver, but if our faith is in Jesus and our relationship with Him then we will be steadfast. It is very much like being a passenger in a plane, is your trust in the advertising promise that you will have a safe flight or in the pilot to make it a safe flight?
The second point is found in James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”. If we are not doing or responding according to the Word of God; then we are hearers only! Don’t deceive yourself in thinking that you have faith if there is no out-working of that faith. It is like the person who believes it is going to rain but doesn’t bring an umbrella along. Let your actions correspond to what you are believing for!
The third point is found in James 2:14-26. This section of scripture is sometimes misunderstood in particular verse 24 which says, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only”. It is a tragic mistake to think that James is saying that salvation or any other area of spiritual life is by works and faith. In the context of verses 24-26, James is saying that faith must have some evidence or outworking that points to faith in God. Just doing good deeds or good works, while noble and should be encouraged, by itself will not justify you. However, believing in Jesus and as a result, you are led to do good deeds… well that is the evidence of Faith!
Now there will be times when we must wait upon the Lord to do His part, but this by no means suggests that we do nothing. Resisting the temptation to sin is an important faith action. Resisting doubt and fear is also an important action. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”. Too many interpret this to mean I do nothing and God will do it all. Yet Proverbs 16:9states, “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps”. We need to walk it out or as the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “we walk by faith and not by sight”.
Finally, what’s “the story” when what we are believing for doesn’t come to pass. Sometimes it is just a timing issue. God is always at work and the promise is on its way. Remember God is not limited by time and space. However, it could be that as it says in, James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. In other words God cant bless those things that are contrary to His nature of love, forgiveness and acceptance.
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