Faith over Fear 8-Week Challenge: Day 7 (Part Two)

Week Two:

The expression of faith dismisses waiting which can lead to disappointment and frustration. In those moments, we can become so focused on our circumstances that we forget God is still in control. If God’s in control, we might ask, then where is He? Why hasn’t anything changed? God doesn’t want us to stay stagnant in the valley of darkness nor in the wilderness. This is the season we have to put our faith in Him in order to move forward, leaning not to our own understanding. Sometimes it’s hard, but you must know and realize that you’d rather choose a future and a hope through faith than anxiety and worry through fear. By definition, faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. In the Bible, we learn a lot more about faith than just a dictionary definition, nevertheless. We see faith in action all through God’s Word, and we’re introduced to so many men and women who chose faith over fear and experienced God’s amazing blessings.There are three facts to know about sustaining faith:

1.Faith is Powerful:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony”Hebrews 11:1-2 (NKJV). Scriptures states that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When we put our faith and hope in God, and His best, we eliminate any unbelief or feelings of fear. You can’t have fear when you’ve got faith, because at the lowest points of your life, you have to make up in your mind that you will remain steadfast and immovable, even when the storms of life are ragging. David said, “Whenever I am afraid,I will trust in You”Psalm 56:3 (NKJV). If you’re feeling fearful or afraid, put your faith in God, He will give you sustaining faith that can be seen as an expression of your during any crisis or trial. Abraham’s actions demonstrated that he had a very large view of God and complete confidence in His faithfulness. Even though the patriarch misjudged how the Lord would rescue Isaac, it was evident that he knew God would fulfill His promise. Abraham’s faith was perfected (or made complete) when he demonstrated willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to the Lord. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”James 2:21-22 (NKJV).

2. Faith is Progressive (Steadfast):

“Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” 1 Peter 5:9-11 (NKJV). You must learn how to develop confidence and sustain steadfast faith that will lead you onto righteouness. We are born spiritually through simple, childlike faith that receives Jesus as Savior. Convictions are nourished by a growing knowledge of God and a deepening confidence in Him. Experiencing His protection, provision, and power in moments of testing strengthens our beliefs. Daniel is a good example of this. Each time his loyalty was tested, he chose to depend on God. Sometimes the circumstances were thrust upon him; such as whether to eat food sacrificed to idols (Daniel 1:8). At other times, he voluntarily initiated a difficult situation in order to help (Daniel 2:24). In each case, he followed God’s leading. As Christians, we profess faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but it’s by our actions that we prove our faith is genuine. When God says not to be anxious about our physical needs, do we trust Him, or do we worry about our finances as we watch the economy fluctuate? Is prayer our first reaction to a problem, or are we more prone to rely on ourselves for a solution? How confident are we that the Bible is true and God will do what He’s said?Consider what your actions say about your perception of God. If you believe that the Lord is who He has revealed Himself to be in the Scriptures, then your life will show evidence of your faith. You’ll confront sin, pursue godliness, worship God with reverence, seek to obey Him fully, and be confident of His love for you.

3. Faith is Persistent:

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me”Luke 18:1-5 (NKJV).

God doesn’t always take you out of the problem. He stretches your faith by taking you through the problem. He doesn’t always take away the pain. He gives you faith-filled ability to handle the pain. And God doesn’t always take you out of the storm because he wants you to trust him in the midst of the storm. Persistent faith does not give up. It presses on in difficult times, trials, tribulations and desperate situations. Remember the story of the lady who got delivered from a blood issue? She had suffered with the condition for 12 years and even spent all she had on treatment until she touched Jesus. "And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction”Mark 5:32-34 (NKJV). If you’re feeling fearful or afraid, put your faith in God. He will see you through. Hebrews 11:6 says,“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Wherever you are today, you’ve got the option to choose faith over fear. Like oil and vinegar, faith and fear don’t mix. As Greg Laurie says: “Where fear reigns, faith is driven away. But where faith reigns, fear has no place.” Ultimately, the Lord sustains our faith and gives us hope to strengthen it. Our faith is not in ourselves or in others but in God alone, for the strength of our faith is not in us but in the Object of our Faith, and that is God. Our feelings can lie to us, but God’s Word never does.