ICS Daily Devotions
A Lifestyle of Faith
Hebrews 11:1,6 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…. 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.
The Christian walk is a walk of faith from the time we are born again until we meet the Lord in heaven. What pleases God is faith and not works, though works are an outward expression of our faith, especially when we have received from Him regarding what to do. It is the Word of God spoken to us personally that gives substance to our faith and provides the anchor for our soul. It is like a title deed that states whatever that we are believing in belongs to us.
We don’t want our own ideas but God’s ways to deliver us from a current situation. We want to seek His opinion and tap into His wisdom. Although God’s strategy can either come across as brilliant, simple or even ridiculous to implement, it will be God who receives the glory, because we know it is Him who has led and delivered us!
It is difficult to have faith in someone unless we learn to trust that person. Some of us struggle in trusting God because we have never really done it, but without trust, we won’t be close to God because faith in God is the foundation of our relationship with Him. In human relationships, we won’t trust someone who’s untruthful or hypocritical because our word represents us. However, God is different from men, and we need to trust in the integrity of His Word because He has revealed His love, character, and His covenant relationship to us through His Word.
It is also hard to trust someone unless we know they love us. However, God has shown forth His love for us by His action of sending His Son to pay the penalty for our sins, and He has revealed Himself to us through Jesus because Jesus came to declare the Heavenly Father to us. Also, because the coming of Jesus was a fulfilment of prophecy, we can conclude that God means what He says and doesn’t lie. He has our interest at heart because He has shown forth the highest form of commitment understood by man in the form of a covenant relationship. We learn to trust Him in this close relationship and develop our faith in Him because we understand the power of a covenant relationship and its commitment.
We might not have been living a lifestyle of faith prior to COVID-19, because we are so used to running our own lives, but the disruption brought about by COVID-19 has forced us to walk by faith. When we have come to the end of ourselves, we need to live by faith in God. The good news is we are made and expected to live by faith!
Sermon Series: You Are in the Hall of Faith! (Part 1)
