Growing Our Faith
ICS Daily Devotions
Romans 12:3 (NKJV) For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Faith cannot be developed through teaching Christian philosophical thoughts or created if we have watered-down or rationalised thinking about the Word. Faith comes by listening to the teaching, preaching, and reading of the living Word of God—the Bible. If we want to have faith in God, we cannot afford to doubt the Bible’s inspiration and authority. Instead, we must trust and believe in the inspiration and authority of God’s Word.
All of us are expected to grow our faith since we are given a measure of faith, but how can we do that? The Word of God is likened to a seed sown in our hearts. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. The Eucalyptus tree can grow to 100 meters tall, and its trunk can be a few meters wide in diameter, but the tree did not appear overnight; it took years to grow to this size after the seed had been planted in the soil. It always begins with the seed.
Likewise, we cannot expect to have strong faith unless we allow the Word of God to be planted in our hearts. We must be open to the Word. The Eucalyptus tree would not have grown if someone had stolen the seed or if a bird had eaten it. It has grown because the seed was given the right environment to grow. We should do the same with our faith. We need to allow the Word of God to grow in our hearts so that it will take root in our lives. It would be easier for the devil to steal the seed, but uprooting a tree would be much more challenging.
Today, we live in a fast-paced society where people want quick fixes or life hacks because it doesn’t require patience. We don’t want the Word but a formula to get out of our difficult situation. Also, people are more interested in the miraculous, spectacular manifestation and a Word for the individual from the prophet than the teaching of the Word and spending quality time with the Lord in their quiet moments. However, faith must be anchored in the Word of God. Otherwise, it would be foolish and presumptuous to say that we believe in God for something without a Word from God or promises found in the Bible.
While the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the Word of God are equally important, and we should not neglect either, the Word must be the foundation for our Christian life; otherwise, our faith in God will not last.
Sermon Series：Growing Our Faith In God
