Messages from Above devotional 2012

Week 6 - The concept of Faith

Day 1 

The importance of faith

'Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' Hebrew 11:1

 So many people in the world today, believe that religion is useless, the concept of faith is just a fad that soon dissappears after reality is seen. However, many people do not realise just how often faith is used in our lives.

For the past few months I have been looking for a bag which is way out of my budget. Just hoping for the day when it will eventually be reduced, but as usual with the really nice things, no such luck. So I decided to try online and I found a website which I have never seen before offering the same bag for less than half price. So I decided to buy the bag and hope it was the real deal. Sure enough when it came it was the same bag, but I had to have some element of faith to put in card details and just hope for the best. This is what faith is all about. 

Just as I hoped for a genuine bag, so I put my hope in God even though I have not seen Him yet, I put my trust in Him.

Author comment's

Hope you have been blessed so far please check out the video on the side - encouraging song - My hope is built on nothing less

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Day 2 

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. Hebrews 11:6

Someone once said: Trust is the single most important thing in a successful relationship. 

Tammy is planning a surprise birthday party for her husband. She decides that everyday she will meet up with some of her friends and his friends for 20 minutes in order to plan the party. Tammy's husband starts to notice her late return home starts to think about all the possible things she could be doing as to why she is late home. He assumes that as Tammy hasn't told him anything she must be having an affair. He decides to talk to one of his friends about the situation. The friend not wanting to give away the surprise goes along with his ideas and tells him to meet him the following week at a venue he has heard his wife will be and not to mention anything to his wife. Tammy's husband agrees and decides he will go with his friend the following week. Although he hopes his wife is not having an affair he starts to believe it. The day comes for catching Tammy 'in the act', and the guys meet up, they go to the venue where Tammy's husband is greeted with shouts of surprise and laughter. He is shocked that his wife was, all the while planning something special for him whilst he was thinking ill of her.

Sometimes as Christians we treat God as though Tammy's husband is. Although we believe that He is good, and that He exists we don't show it in our actions. James 2:19 acknowledges the fact that even devils know who the true God is but they haven't placed their lives in His hands. The bible tells us in Hebrew 12:2 that we must look to Jesus, 'the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God'. He is the only one that can give us the faith we need to get rid of all anxiety, worry, suspicions and problems; but we Must Look to Him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 3 

Faith -Not Just a mind thing

'Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.'

Countless times in the bible, we see the idea of faith and works combined even back in Genesis we can see examples of faith. Take Abraham for example. God told him to get his son and offer him as a sacrifice. Without question he takes his son without any idea that God would provide a sacrifice of the lamb. He heard the word and he followed in faith which is the base of faith, ( Romans 10:17).  In this story we see how faith was followed with obedience. The two go hand in hand one cannot exist without the other. Obedience is a fruit of faith it does not save us in itself but when you have true faith you will obey the call of God.