How does faith unlock blessings?
In asking this question, I was reminded of Abraham, whose faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Reading the book of Hebrews also affirms this Truth. Hebrews is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Chapter eleven chronicles many stories of faith. Then, at the end of chapter twelve it reads,
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
When we live by faith, we are exercising our right to trust God for the outcome. Living by faith means that we don’t trust ourselves, our money, our strength, or our contacts to deliver us from circumstances. Living by faith means that we admit it is not up to us to pull it off! I believe that once we admit this Truth, God is more likely (yet always able) to step in and deliver because He knows that we know that it is Him doing it.
Sometimes we come to this realization after we’ve lost it all, and/or we are unable to fix a situation. Me, I came to this realization after realizing I couldn’t afford everything my son needed, and I couldn’t donate one of my eyes to deliver him from a diagnosis of blindness. In my nothingness, I looked up to God and said, “Okay, you take over, please.”
Some people reading this may be fortunate enough to have come to this realization without having lost it all or without having felt completely hopeless. I rejoice with you in that you received the Truth before you suffered a great loss. Most of us, however, have suffered much in this life and in the process of learning. Either way, however, coming to this realization is the beginning of a new pattern of blessings. It is the beginning of wisdom, and understanding that living by faith unlocks blessings in your life.
I challenge you to read and study, Mary (the mother of Jesus). I wrote a chapter about my own journey and study on Mary in my book Do You Hear what I Hear? I also implore you to study Sarah and her husband, the sick woman who was healed
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
I encourage you to read about people in the Bible who trusted and believed Jesus for miracles. One of my favorite stories is about the centurion who believed Jesus for the healing of his servant (Matthew 8). I know you will be richly blessed by finding someone in the Bible and studying how they were blessed because of their faith. Your faith will increase as you study the faith-filled lives of those who have gone before you.
What I find most interesting is that while a journey of faith may start out to be “about us,” it ends up being about God as well as the countless others who are waiting to be blessed by witnessing our faith.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
It seems apparent to me that the goal of living a life of faith is to be strengthened (Yes!), but to also get up and walk from there “so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
Isn’t this an amazing truth?! God wants us to live by faith because that is how He designed us. He designed us to need Him, and He wants us to go to Him and believe Him.
“They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!
“Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.”
“According to your faith will it be done for you.”
Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why do you doubt?”
I love the fact that Jesus reached out His hand and caught him! He has caught me countless times.
“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness!’ ”
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
This final verse reiterates my earlier point. Living by faith may at first appear to be “about us.” After all, we need to believe in a very big God in order to be able to put one foot in front of the other. We need to overcome our fears, and the only way to do that is to live by faith. We must trust God who is stronger and more able than us. So, in our faith, we are able to stand and put one foot in front of the other. In so doing, we learn to see past ourselves, we see God, and when we see God, we are more able to see beyond ourselves to the countless others who need to be encouraged in faith.
Why does God tell us things before they happen? Why does He ask us to do things while all the time knowing that if we choose not to do them we will miss out on a blessing? I believe the answer is very straight-forward: He wants us to trust Him before the outcome so that after the outcome is revealed, He will be glorified. But be sure to remember that we must live by faith and be obedient to His voice in order for this to occur.
“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
In faith, God impresses things upon our hearts. He directs our paths, making crooked, confused places straight. He asks us to step out of comfort zone and help a stranger. He asks us to give more money, give more time, and give more of ourselves to the lost and the hurting. When we follow God in faithful obedience, graciously doing the things He has impressed upon our hearts to do, others are able to see our faith, but more importantly, they are able to see God. When we give of ourselves and of our resources, we are showing that we trust God to re-supply what we gave. Many people don’t give of themselves or of their provision because, deep down, they question whether or not God will continue to meet their own needs.
Here’s an example of this type of thinking:
“If I meet that person’s need, will God re-supply my supply room with a replacement for what I give?” If you believe the answer is, “No,” you don’t believe.
As a result, we hold on to what precious time and money we have because we live in fear rather than in faith. Oh, but when we live by faith, others are able to see the One who sent us! So, in summary, living by faith – at first glance – seems to be for us, but ultimately it is for the advancement and illumination of an eternal perspective on this world!
When we begin to see the world through eyes of faith, blessings are unlocked because we have abandoned ourselves. No longer do we trust in our own might or our own provision; no longer are we thwarted by our own weaknesses or our own inabilities. It is at this point that we have truly learned that all things are possible for those who believe!
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
“According to your faith will it be done for you.”
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 29 June 2021.
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