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"While we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.'
- 2 Corinthians 4:18
According to Romans chapter one, Paul clearly points out that the "just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17). This is not a suggestion. It is a way of life for every believer. While the world lives on the premise that "seeing is believing," the Christian is to live on the basis that "believing is seeing." When Jesus was raised from the dead, he came and appeared to his disciples. Thomas wasn't present at the time. Later, when he met up with those that saw the Lord, he was in doubt about what they told him. He said, "Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). When the Lord appeared again, this time with Thomas present, he said to him, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing" (John 20:27). We often hear the phrase, "The Thomas kind of faith." That's because Thomas' faith was completely dependent upon what he could see and what he could feel. Alot of Christian live on this level of faith. They want to believe, and will often acknowledge their faith in Christ, but when the circumstances are contrary to what it is they believe, they grow faint and begin to worry about what is going to happen to their life.
As believers, we have to learn how to live by trusting God's Word and not lean on our reasoning or focus our attention on the circumstances around us. When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, he described two different individuals--a wise man and a foolish man--one who heard his Word and did what he said, and one who heard his Word and did not do what he said. In both cases, you will find that it didn't matter whether one was a doer and the other just a hearer, the storms of life came regardless. I've heard some folks imply that if you are truly living by faith that somehow you aren't going to face any storms. Almost as if a storm signifies that you are in doubt or you are not using your faith, or that somewhere you opened the door to the enemy. If that was the case, Paul must not have had any faith. because everywhere he turned he was faced with adversity. No, all that is--is ignorant people trying to think spiritual. Jesus himself said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). It's one thing to experience a trial. It is another thing altogether to know how to walk through one. Just because you face a flood that doesn't mean you have to be sweep away by it. How you respond to things that hit you day to day defines your faith more than whether or not you ever experience a flood. I think it all goes back to what Jesus said about these two individuals. I like how he described the wise man. He said, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock" (Matt. 7:25). Luke says, "the streams beat vehemently upon the house, and it could not shake it" (Luke 6:48). See, this is the difference between those who say they have faith, and those who have made faith a way of life. It has nothing to do with stopping the storms, but it has everything to do with whether the storm stops you!
Making faith a way of life is coming to a place where you are locked in to the provisions of God--whether it is for guidance, health, peace of God, financial or material sustenance--you stedfastly behold the faithfulness of God right in the middle of hell throwing everything it can at you. Don't ever think that the tests of life have come upon you because you did something wrong or that your faith was somehow insufficient to stop it from coming. That's the enemy talking to you. Realize you are a target. As long as you are in this world, the enemy is going to keep throwing his darts at you. But be encouraged, the shield of faith is more than enough to keep you from going under. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
There are four things that are required in making faith a way of life. Always remember these four things and I promise you, it will keep you steady when the storms of life are howling overhead. Number one is realize God is your source no matter what. Your job may be a present source of income, but you must learn to look beyond to your ultimate provider. God is your first and highest source, and he can meet your need in a recession just as easily as he can when market conditions are at an all time high. Number two. Never bend to the pressure. Keep yourself in the peace of God and rest in his faithfulness. God always comes through, even when we cannot see any possibility of it happening. God's not limited to one particular method or means to see to it that your needs are met. Don't get your eyes on any one thing, especially on someone or something that God used in the past. Keep your eyes on him, and him only. Number three is so important. Live one day at a time. Don't worry about next week or next month. You're not there yet, so why pull it out of the future and try to make it part of the present. Jesus said, "Take no thought of tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Matt. 6:34). Faith is now, not tomorrow. Believe, while you are in the moment, and rest that God has your tomorrows already taken care of. Lastly, is number four. Obey God in everything he asks of you. He may tell you to sow when you are in a time of famine. Go ahead and do it. Don't ever let fear dictate your decisions. Let God's Word determine what you are going to do. What you have in your hand cannot even compare to what he can give back to you, when you trust in him to be your source. The world wants to hold on to what it has when things get tight, but that can be one of the most rewarding times in your life--giving when it doesn't make sense to give.
These are four major keys to faith's way of living. They will open the door to the blessings of God no matter what you are facing. If I were you, I would memorize these four things and keep them in my heart at all times. They may be the difference between life and death--blessing and cursing! Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight! (2 Cor. 5:7).
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