Introduction
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrew 11:6).
The Bible describes faith as follows, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). As Christians, we are called to walk by faith and not by sight, meaning, many times, we need to believe before we see the results. That is easier said than done!hey say children spell the word love, “T.I.M.E.” I agree. And I would venture to say one of the main ways God spells love is, “T.R.U.S.T.” Our Heavenly Father delights in us as we put our faith and hope in Him, especially when we are going through hard times.
But when we read about God’s character in the Bible and read His promises, we can stand firm on His Word. When God gives us dreams and promises about our lives that line up with what we have read in the Bible, we are to grab hold of them even if at first they seem far-fetched or impossible. That just means we are about to get stretched!
God wants our faith in Him to grow!
Our faith deepens as we spend time with Jesus in prayer and reading the Word. And as we go through trials, we see God’s almighty hand working in our lives. We get to experience God’s faithfulness.
During some of the most trying and painful times in my life, when it felt like someone had pulled not just the rug but the entire ground out from under me, the only thing I had to hold onto was my faith in God. Every day was like a never-ending roller coaster. Amid the doubt, fear, and chaos, I clung to the truths that God is good, God is faithful, God is in control, and nothing is impossible for Him!
Those can all sound like trite expressions, but when you are going through what seems like hell on earth, those words come alive!
It was during that season that I would soak in God’s presence and His Word and inhale His promises to me in the Bible. I learned that part of our maturing process is having our faith tested. That’s how our spiritual muscles get exercise. It is how our character is refined so we can be conformed into the image of Christ. It is also how spiritual warriors are trained. We need to learn to use our shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts that the enemy throws at us.
I mentioned some of the lessons I learned during that time in my life in my first book, Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough!
During that particular season of poring over the Scriptures, I found great comfort from the Bible personalities I will be sharing about in this devotional. Their faith in God inspired me and gave me hope when I needed it the most. I would read and re-read how God came through for them, and I would have peace that God would see me through as well.
When I would ask God why I was going through all these tests, one of the verses that kept coming to my mind was when Jesus was talking to Simon Peter before He went to the Cross. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31).
Did you catch that? Jesus interceded for Peter to stay strong in his faith and exhort the other disciples once he was restored.
And so my friend, that is why I am writing this devotional. The Lord has graciously brought me through that chapter in my life. Now I am praying that your faith will be strengthened.
My hope is that this devotional will encourage you to believe God for the impossible! Dare to remove the limits off of God and watch what He will do. God is able! He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is never asleep on the job. God loves you more than you will ever know and He is closer than you think!
The men and women you will read about were regular people like you and me. They had their flaws and imperfections, which you can read about in the Bible. But I will be spotlighting some of their defining moments. I want to give you just a snapshot of those times when they took a leap of faith and took God at His Word.
There was nothing special about them. The One who is special is God! He performed all the miracles in these stories. He can do the miraculous for you according to His will.
I pray that any storms you face in your life will help drive you closer to God. I pray your personal relationship with Jesus will continue to grow. As you abide in Christ, your prayers will better align with His desires for you.
Pray bold prayers and wait for God to answer in His timing and in His way. He will see you through. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Believe!
Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspired You to Believe God for the Impossible! Copyright © 2016 by Nancy Gavilanes All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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