KEEPING FAITH ALIVE IN EVERY SEASON OF LIFE(2)
- Real faith is always in opposition to something — opposition to the status quo, circumstantial evidence, facts, and fear. Consequently, faith is warfare (Romans 4:18-22, TPT, 1 Timothy 6:12).
- As Christians, the very first exercise of our faith is in salvation. Many of us did not receive Christ the very first time He was preached to us because there was an opposition to the gospel in our lives. But those who preached to us did not back off; they exercised their faith and continued preaching.
- Faith is confrontational; it does not back off.
- For your faith to stand tall in every season of life, you must fight and exercise faith against all odds. Faith comes alive when all hope is lost because that is the nature of faith (Acts 27:20, 10-12).
- If your situation does not look hopeless, maybe you do not need faith because faith does not swim (thrive) in shallow waters; it goes deep down.
- We need hopelessness to demonstrate the power of faith, just as we need darkness to demonstrate the power of light. The raising of Lazarus from the dead to life was one of the greatest demonstrations of faith that was recorded in the Bible (John 11:1-44).
- The seed of faith is powerful enough to push through every stubborn soil.
- Faith is not a wild-goose chase; it does not run on an empty tank. It must be anchored on something tangible. If you are trusting God for something, you must have something you are anchoring your faith on. The most important hinge in this regard is the word of God (Hebrews 11:1, Romans 4:3, 18, James 2:23).
- For many believers, there is no expectation of the fulfilment of God’s promises. Many of us can mouth God’s promises, but there is no deepseated expectation that those things will be done (Proverbs 23:18, Acts 12:12-16, 2 Timothy 1:12).
- When God gives you a word of promise, you must not only believe that He can do it, but you must also believe He is willing to do it (Psalm 34:8; 107:1, Hebrews 10:23, Matthew 8:2, Luke 22:42).
- The Bible says Abraham took God at His word (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, James 2:23). Oftentimes, many of us think that we believe the word of God, but many times, we do not. The close examination of our actions always testifies to the contrary (Mark 9:21- 24). The problem of not receiving the fulfilment of God’s promises is never with God’s willingness or ability to do what we want; rather, the problem lies in our own inability to believe in His word (Mark 9:21-24).
- Many of us began our faith journey on a good step, but got weary along the way and stopped because our faith could not be stretched further. The strength of your faith and how elastic it is, and how far it can be stretched, matters (Romans 4:19, Proverbs 24:10).
- If for any reason your faith cannot carry you through every season of life, your strength is small (Proverbs 24:10). The faith that will carry us through the changing seasons of life is one that cannot be weakened or undermined.
- Nothing that exists can weaken or undermine our faith in God if we truly love Him (Romans 8:38-39).
- Abraham’s faith could not be undermined or weakened by facts (Romans 4:19). The greatest opposition to faith is fact. Fact in itself is a form of evidence, and it speaks so loudly and can be so visible. So, if you have not trained your ears to hear the inaudible and eyes to see the invisible, fact will overwhelm you and crush your faith (2 Corinthians 4:18, Hebrews 11:27).
- Faith is not seasonal or time-bound. Faith must stay alive in us until we see Christ face to face (James 1:6-8, Hebrews 11:13, 39).
- Walking with God in faith is a tough thing. Until you get to the point where nothing affects your faith, regardless of circumstances or situation, that is when your faith is totally complete (Hebrews 11:13-16, Esther 4:16, Daniel 3:18).
- You must be convinced about the ability, power, and willingness of God to do what you desire. Faith is a conviction! (Romans 4:21). The faith that will endure every season of life must be stable, mighty, and full of conviction.
- Faith sings. It is the only thing that can help you get through sorrow; it sings in all situations and every situation. Faith in worship is a gamechanger (Acts 16:25, Psalm 34:1, Job 13:15, 2 Chronicles 20:21-23, 2 Kings 3:15-19).
- God’s promises are as good as done (Romans 4:20).
