I am concerned that we Christians, perhaps have not been taught or trained in God's word. God's word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. We have become more religious over the years living by and through the traditional teachings of denominational churches. Leaving us in the same condition the rest of the world is in, confusion, fear, anger, stress, worry, and anxiety. Mark 7:13 tells us the dangers of traditions "making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” I am sure you get the picture. In Hosea 4:6 and Isaiah 5:13, We are told that "My (God's) people perish due to our lack of knowledge." Do you know that is not the will of God? Do you know that he has not placed us in this world to simply struggle through our years with the hope of heaven after death? Perhaps if we use God's word, as we are supposed to, we would not feel like the world is devouring us. It is my prayer that we learn God's word because it is active, it is our shield, our weapon of defense in an offensive world.
Are we seeking the father, do we listen for his voice, do we follow his leading? Are we looking to God for answers, or do we depend on the world? I know, it seems like a lot of questions, that may be pricking your hearts, if it is, then perhaps we need to work on our relationship with God the father. So let's start looking at ways to start that relationship. I would like to say that relationship with the father is not a sometimes thing, it needs to be continuous James 5:13 "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise." Praise him always knowing that he is the answer for the situation or that he is the reason for your joy. So let's get started building that relationship, we will begin with faith.
We simply misplace our faith. We put faith in many things, it could be our jobs (for provision), doctors (for health), government (for safety), or schools (for education). These are things that we, through tradition, have been taught to put faith in. But we must realize that these are worldly things, all based on man's traditional ways of thinking. We may think that we have faith in God the father, yet we still turn to the world, believe me when I say that this is not intentional, but rather so ingrained into our lives that we may often mistake a burden for a blessing. Now, I am not telling you that we should not work, go to the doctor, look to our government, or get an education, by no means, but I am saying that we should not put all of our faith in these things. Our faith should first and foremost be put in God the Father. Do you remember what Matthew 6:25-34 (please read) tells us in short it tells us not to worry about things that we need, but that we should first seek God and his kingdom. By now you are most likely thinking that I have lost my mind-that is ok, but I do ask that you consider the verses that I have mentioned and will mention.
So let us look at just how important faith is in our relationship with God.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace, you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that God is and that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
Other verses tell us that our faith heals.
Mark 5:25-34 (read) The story of the woman with the issue of blood, she spent all she had on doctors but instead of getting any better her condition grew worse, then she heard of Jesus and all of the wonderful miracles. I would imagine that at this point the woman was broke and broken, to the point of giving up. I know that does not sound encouraging, but sometimes we just have to be at the end of ourselves, the end of our self-reliance and our reliance on the world, back to the subject. The woman touched the hem of his garment and was healed. He tells her "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
Matthew 8:5-13 (read) Jesus heals a centurion's servant. verse 10; When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
Matthew 9 (read) verses 29-30 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.
These are just a few examples from the Bible about faith. There are many great resources online where you can search the bible for references to "faith." I encourage you to search for yourself and grow your relationship with God. Yes, it is a relationship, based on faith.
