Faith Is the Determining Factor
ICS Daily Devotions
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.
Do you know that as believers, we are the ones who determine the extent that the Word of God has on our lives? The Bible says that the seed—which refers to the Word—is sown on different kinds of soil, and the soil represents the condition of our heart. So, it is the soil that determines the outcome of the seed. It means that while the Word has tremendous power, it is the heart that determines the growth of the Word.
The Word has little effect on those who have hardened their hearts. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will also choke the Word. Meanwhile, the devil will send tribulation to steal the Word from our hearts. Therefore, we need to belong to that category of believers that has a different spirit, where our hearts are receptive to the Word so we can produce thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold in our lives.
We need to have a different spirit to take hold of what rightfully belongs to us, and it is the spirit of faith. We must not be passive but take “by force” what belongs to us as a believer. If we take the time to listen to the Word, faith will naturally be produced because Scripture says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Faith is imperative in the life of a believer because without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to Him must believe that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.
We have all read about the 12 spies being sent to check out the Promised Land, but did it ever cross your mind that if God had already promised to give it to them, why was there any need to spy? Through this, we learn that our faith in God is the determining factor in whether we inherit the promises of God in our lives. We can either respond in faith or doubt and fear when we are faced with a situation contrary to what God has promised. Responding in fear or doubt will take us down a different route marred by a lot of unnecessary suffering. The Israelites’ response caused the entire generation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Eventually, it was the new generation that inherited the land with Joshua and Caleb. We can either be the Joshua and Caleb of that generation or be like the rest of the Israelites who reacted in fear and unbelief.
Sermon Series: Having a Different Spirit
