Word of the Week - Great Faith
"For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, Go, and he goes; and that one, Come, and he comes. I say to my servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”” Matthew 8:9-10
What is faith: “Now Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1 Essentially Faith is believing in something you cannot see. The cornerstone of Faith for us as Christians is our belief in Jesus and His Word. We can believe in Jesus and still not receive the full benefits of our Faith. If we truly know Him through His word, Relate with Him through a personal abiding relationship, and demonstrate our love and trust in Him by stepping into action through good works, we will become men and women of Great Faith like the Centurion in Matthew 8.
Great Faith comes from knowing God through His Word: The Bible is God’s love letter to us. It is an amazing book that is alive and equips us to grow in our walk of faith. “So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17 As we read and study God’s Word and allow it to permeate our heart, mind and soul, we get to know and begin to understand the depths of who God and who He is in His triune form as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The more we know God the more we love Him and understand how much He loves us. This draws us closer to God and gives us a desire to follow Him and obey Him with our lives. We see Him as a loving Father who has our best interest at heart. This fosters trust and allows our Faith to deepen.
Great Faith is built in our relating with Jesus: Jesus is the foundation of our Faith. In Jesus we have a loving savior who came down to earth and experienced life so He understands what we are going through and can relate with us in our challenges and pain. “For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 Knowing that Jesus empathizes with us allow us to be able to relate with Him as our Savior and our friend.
Great Faith requires Action: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, Go in peace, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanies by action, is dead”. James 2:14-17 I love this scripture in James and how it really ties together the reality of our Faith. I am convinced that if we truly have Faith in God and allow Him to permeate our lives we will be compelled to action. We cannot help but want to do something when we understand what God has done for us and the depth of His love. Love is Faith in action.
We are currently in a season of 21 days of prayer and fasting and the theme is “Great Faith”. Seasons of prayer and fasting can really heighten our spirit and enhance our Faith and connection with God. I always grow closer to the Lord during these times. You can join online each morning at 6am by clicking on this link https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/
Let’s make 2022 the year of Great Faith. Have a great week…..
-Duane