Faith is (2)

 

“NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR.” HEBREWS 11:1 NKJV

Before Israel went into battle, the prophets would ask God if He had given them the city. That’s because God honors faith when it’s connected to what He’s promised. What you should fight for – is what God has promised. Don’t say God failed you, if He didn’t promise it to you in the first place! And don’t get angry, because misguided desire made you reach for what He gave to somebody else. The old timers used to sing, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter every verse every line.” That’s so, in the sense that God loves us all equally. But there are certain promises He wants to fulfill in your life, because your calling is different from that of others. And you must seek Him for clarity and guidance.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:29 NKJV). Don’t just listen to the preacher; try to hear what God is saying to you through the preacher. You can hear something entirely different from the next guy, because God is “personalizing” it to you. The Bible is called the “Living Word,” because certain Scriptures suddenly come to life and take root within you. You can hear what nobody else hears, or even miss several of the pastor’s points, and go home with the answer you need. When you say, “I get it. It’s mine,” the faith that comes by “hearing” is doing its special work within you.