Faith.
Many times we fool ourselves into thinking that we have faith because we have knowledge of the faith or we have faith because of how we are feeling.
But when it comes down to it:
You either have it or you don't
We either choose to act in faith or we don't
When it comes to faith we trust what we believe more than what we can rationalize in our minds and more than what our emotions tell us. For the Christian, that faith is equal to obedience to God because we trust in His Words more than our own understanding.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight"
The catch with this passage is that we cannot do NOTHING and trust in God with our whole heart. If we do, than we are trusting that our own understanding is God's understanding and thus we create an excuse NOT to exercise faith but rather to live in our own understanding.
For example, "I don't know if I should talk to this person if God really wants me to talk to this person the person will talk to me or God will show me a sign"
If we say we truly trust then we have to trust Him enough to do what He says. We cannot sit back and say "He's got it all in control" He does in one sense but in another the way His redemptive work is done is through us. We are His letters that can only be read when we open ourselves up through faith.
For example, "I know I should be talking to this person because the Lord commands that I go make disciples of all nations and the only way that can possibly happen is if I share my faith with them. I'm scared but I'm going to trust in what God says"
Its about being faithful to Him. It doesn't matter so much the how or what or the results but rather the heart and desire to please and then obey. All of us will fall short when it comes to the how and many disagree on the how and what and none of us are ever sure of the outcome.
6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
Romans 14:6
it is the relationship that we build with God that matters. One where we stick with Him through everything good and bad wether He chooses to use our faith or not. It does not matter for "The righteous will live by faith"
We could end up like Jeremiah..
no one ever listened to what he said throughout his whole life
or we could end up like Nehemiah
who saw God raise back his people from captivity
Every second of our lives we can choose to act in faith or not.
and everytime we genuinely act in faith we build on a foundation that will last
Its like building a relationship with someone, everytime you open yourself deeper to that person you get closer to them likewise everytime you open your heart to God and obey Him you get closer to Him.
Think of the infinite possibilities and potential to walk with God in 943949304 number of ways! and as we our faithful to Him He will prove Himself faithful to us.
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Mathew 17:20
small acts of faith leads to bigger acts of faith which leads to deeper intimacy with God because your depending on Him more and more and more
6I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:16
Christ dwells in our heart through faith!
A lot of the times the reason why Christians don't have the joy and peace and love that abounds in the heart that is mentioned so many times in the scripture is because their faith in God is either really shallow or incorrect.
Which is why the Psamist prays to God to
4 Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalm 25:4-5
The ideal Christian is so lost in seeking God that he doesn't realize the powerful work that God is doing through him as He journeys toward God.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. [b]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7
As they are transformed by God's power through their faith in Him, that faith spreads to those around them and they too make the valley a place of springs within the hearts of the people~
