STRENGTHENING YOUR FAITH

By Jay Pearson

One way I have found to strengthen my faith is by calling to remembrance the things God has already delivered me from, and answers he has provided to my request in the past. I believe this can help you too. It amounts to my trusting the Lord in all my circumstances. Have you had a friend that you trusted because they never failed you?  The more they did what they said they were going to do, the easier it was  to have faith in their word. Then one day their habits change and they couldn’t be counted on. Your faith in them faltered. The trust was no longer there to maintain your faith in them. We don’t have that problem with God. The more we trust him for what he has already done in our life the more faith we have that he will provide for us in the future.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In Mark 9, a man brought his young son to the disciples to cast an evil spirit out of him and they could not. When Jesus came to his disciples the man said, "Lord, if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us." Jesus told him, "If you can believe, all thing are possible to him that believes." The man cried and said, "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief." You see, the man had seen Jesus and believed in his power, but he didn’t believe in his own ability to believe that he was worthy enough for such a gift. I’m like that a lot of the time. I believe God will do it for someone else, but maybe I’m not worthy enough to receive for him. That is when I step back and remember all the times he has delivered me when it seemed impossible. Then my trust is at the forefront and my faith in him is elevated. Don’t be afraid to ask God for reassurance in your walk with him.

Judges 6:36-37
36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.

And it was so. Gideon reversed the request and God answered him. Again it was so. When we trust God he will boost our faith. Remember what he has done for you in the past and your trust will be there.

1 Samuel 17:33-37
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

David trusted God because of what he had done for him in the past, and he had faith he would provide again, all being in accordance to God’s will. Don’t let Goliath talk you out of your commission from God.

Take a moment now and think of a particular time when God delivered you from a seemingly impossible circumstance. (This is not for you to share with us now. It is for your personal reflection and remembrance of God’s goodness and mercy to you.) If you are like me, some of these things are to dark to share from my past. I am not dwelling on what I did. I’m dwelling on how God delivered me over and over again from stupid decisions and actions in my past life. I can’t but trust he has never failed me. And I know he has never failed you either. You may not have gotten what you wanted, but I assure you He gave you what you needed at the time. Don’t let Goliath talk you out of your commission from God and your fellowship with him.

TRUST THE LORD BECAUSE OF WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU IN THE PAST. HAVE FAITH TOWARD THE LORD BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WILL DO FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE.

Jude 1:24-25
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

God never ask anything of you he hasn’t already given you. NEVER. He doesn’t ask you to be God nor does he ask you to be Jesus Christ. He ask you to walk in him. He has provided that ability.

Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

 

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Presented May 5, 2019 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana