Scripture: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;” – 2 Thessalonians 1:3
Examination: Paul is commending the church in Thessalonica for their faith. They have endured persecutions, but still held on to the gospel that had been shared with them. He tells them that their faith will be rewarded when Jesus returns.
Application: It’s so easy to have faith when things are going well, but when life throws a curve ball, it becomes much more difficult to trust the Lord for the outcome. Additionally, when God doesn’t answer our prayers within our expected timeline, faith sometimes wanes.
According to Hebrews 12:1, faith is “… the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It requires trusting the Lord to answer our prayers the best way possible in the best time frame, believing that He is acting according to His perfect will for our lives. Not always easy to do!
Most likely, if someone were to conduct a survey of Christians asking them if they believed their salvation was true and that one day they would be with Jesus in heaven, the response would be an overwhelming, “Yes!” It seems so easy to trust that Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead to be the Saviour of the world with the ability to forgive every sin. The faith needed for salvation comes easy, while faith in God for meeting financial needs, healing sickness, restoring broken relationships, etc., is so hard to hold on to. So how do we cultivate more faith?
Romans 10:17 gives us the answer. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” By reading and studying the Bible, we learn how God has worked in the lives of others. Since the Bible records God as saying, “For I am the LORD, I change not…”, we can know that the God that worked in the lives of Ruth, Daniel, David, Paul, etc., is the same God that works in our lives today.
I’m Growing our faith requires choosing to trust God and what He says in His Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 states, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It’s important to remember that God is under no obligation to explain His actions to us; He is the Creator; we are His creation. As a child trusts his or her parents without necessarily needing an explanation from them, we need to trust our heavenly Father also. Then, as we begin to experience His hand in our lives, our faith will grow more and more.
Memory Verse: “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” – Mark 11:22
I care not today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain,
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worry is vain.
Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.
(from “Living By Faith” by James Wells)