Is faith optional? No, doubting God is the alternative to faith. Do we have to believe? Yes, it is our only way to please God. “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 KJV). Everything about our life requires faith. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith has a relationship with love, opportunity, and understanding. Faith is compelled and “worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6 KJV), while the opportunity and understanding of faith are considered purposely rejected, whenever one “knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 KJV). It does us good to think through God’s thoughts after Him. We are only guilty of over analyzing, when we are stalling for time and should be doing.
Author: Ken
Does Better Understanding Build Better Faith?
Better understanding does build better faith. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48 KJV). When do we have enough understanding to believe God? The LORD knew that Gideon was not guilty of the sin of unbelief though he put out the fleece for a sign (Judges 6). Zacharias did not believe the angel’s announcement about the coming birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:20), so God struck him mute. We have enough understanding when we know what we should do. For “him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17 KJV). We need to practice arriving at a forthright conclusion and acting on it. The best course is straightforward.
What Stops Us From Believing?
What stops us from believing? According to Scripture, faith works by love. In other words, the motivation of love either drives or hinders our faith. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6 KJV). We trust God more, if we love Him more. And, why do we love Him? “To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47 KJV). May God break down my pride that I may love Him more and trust Him more!
According to Your Faith
Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29 KJV), not, ‘According to what others say you ought to think, be it unto you.’ To believe God, it is your responsibility to understand what He said, be certain that He did say it, then simply believe it. Believing is acting like you’re relying on the truth of what He said. If you really believe it’s going to rain, bring an umbrella. If you really believe you will pass the examination, then don’t be worried or fretful. Don’t complicate things by becoming anxious about consequences, whether something will come to pass. Be childlike and vulnerable with your faith. In reality, we are generally more concerned about what others will think, if what we believe does not come to pass. That’s Belief By Consensus. That fear of embarrassment will stop us from believing. Lord, help us to develop the habit of taking You at your word. Amen and amen.
God Is Able to Make Him Stand
What do you do when two brothers seem to honestly take opposite positions on the same subject? Since the Lord wants us to firmly stand our ground — “Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay” (James 5:12 KJV) — how do we reconcile? The nature of God’s Truth demands a development of our understanding, where we grow to see things differently. The Jerusalem Council illustrates this with the conclusions of James, to which Paul happily agreed (Acts 15). “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1Corinthians 13:11 KJV). We all honestly understand and explain the world differently, not just from one another, but from the way we used to think. With the guiding attitude of love, we need to humbly ask God to grow our understanding without destroying our brother. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:1-4 KJV). May God graciously grant us all a childlike humility, so we may grow!
Relationship With Christ
I used to look down on the idea of developing a relationship with God. Just get them saved, and go on and do the same to the next one! But, we are saved from what? For what purpose? Salvation is restoring a lost relationship with God. Remember the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12 KJV). Sure, that lost relationship means eternal separation from God; but, we’re still talking about a relationship. So, how goes our relationship with Yahweh?
Feed On The Word Of God
Feed on the Word of God much as you need physical food to survive and thrive. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 KJV). If our physical body requires food, how can God’s words be optional for our spiritual existence? “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV). God’s Word is not just a physical book or an ebook in digital form. Jesus is the Living Word! You can’t destroy the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 KJV). Understand and think through the meaning of His words, seeing it is communing with the Living God, our Heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ!
How I Love Thy Law!
“O how love I Thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97 KJV). This is the common preference of the godly. In attempting to faithfully record the actions and words of Jesus, John wrote, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” (John 21:25 KJV). They couldn’t write enough, and we can’t read enough of God’s words, because they are more to be desired “than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10 KJV). It is impossible to overindulge with God’s words. Yahweh wants that kind of relationship with us!
Preserve Us, O Lord!
“Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust” (Psalm 16:1 KJV). More than a slogan on US coins and currency, which has been stripped of its original religious connotation, In God We Trust, is the reason the Psalmist could petition for Yahweh’s preservation. The world understands prevention is more valuable than cure. Better our Father preserves us from the Enemy, the world, and ourselves than the complexities of all the cures. “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:8 KJV).
My Father’s Business
“I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49 KJV). Oh, that we can always say the same! I worked with my father in a family business. So did Jesus. He did not separate His interests from His Heavenly Father’s interests. If we attempt to use our talents and opportunities in this world for the Kingdom of God, we must be willing to give everything up, if it demands what we cannot give — first place. Jesus continually reminded us not to love anything more than Himself — family (Matthew 10:37-38), our own lives (Luke 14:26), or job and riches. “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25 KJV). We yearn to be about our Father’s business!
We Need A Miracle 
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