ICS Daily Devotions
Are You Spiritually Malnourished?
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.7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
To believe with the heart means to believe with the spirit. Our spirit becomes filled with the assurance and confidence as we meditate on the Word. The word is spirit and faith food and it makes our spirit strong. To believe with the heart means to believe APART from what our physical senses tells us.
Imagine someone who is called to be a businessman and to be effective in the marketplace ministry is diagnosed with a sickness and is temporary affected. Inevitably, there will be a lot of thoughts that will flow through the mind of this person. “How long do I have remaining in my life?” “What stage of the disease am I in?” There will be a lot of negative thoughts that will affect the person. Oppression will set in very quickly. Many people will start browsing the net for information on the disease rather than diving into the word of God. Frankly, sickness is no respecter of person but having our mind rested in God will help us to fight better.
What is your shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit?
Do you believe in Psalm 91:14-16? “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
We all have a destiny to fulfill in Christ and what happens if an obstacle hinders it? How do we apply the truth in faith?
Faith in CHRIST is believing in the anointed one, the Messiah, the Son of God. Jairus heard of how Jesus had done great works of healing the sick and casting out demons with the preaching of the gospel.
Luke 8:48 (NKJV) 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Nothing moves or pleases God except our faith in Him. The importance of faith in a believers life is emphasized in verse 48: And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Both these scriptures demand that we believe that it is done the moment we have prayed and not have to wait for the answer to be given to us. This is what faith is, a believing that it is a done deal.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Very often or many times we waver because we are affected by the reports, the feeling and the circumstances but this is exactly what God doesn’t want us to fluctuate in our belief.
Hebrews 11:1,6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 6 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.
This is the description and the definition of what faith is. Faith essentially deals with the future and with the unseen, the regions not entered by direct physical senses. Faith is a conviction of things when they are not seen! A giving of substance things hoped for. There is a temptation to confuse faith with feelings; trusting God’s word and looking for signs. Mankind has been plagued with trusting in their own feelings more than their faith in God.
Hoping for something is not faith! Faith says I have it. Things not seen shows that our senses are not required but purely believe that it is done. God has spoken!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God has given us the responsibility to build up our faith in His Word. For His Word is living and active serving as spiritual food to our deprived inner man which requires continual strengthening. The character and love of God is found in the life and ministry of Christ. The first step of becoming a child of God is to receive it by faith after we have heard the gospel thereafter it will be a lifestyle of faith and a faith journey.
Sermon Series: Hold On To God
