Mining Faith: Destination – Faith in the Cave

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 NKJV

Here we are: Destination – Faith.

We have talked about the necessity of abiding in the word of God (step 1)…reading, studying, knowing the word.  We have looked at step 2, hearing God’s voice and why it is vital in our walk with Jesus…as well as a couple ways to practice hearing Him.  This path always leads to Faith.

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

I will just make mention that in this perfect definition of what faith is, the word ‘substance’ is used to define it…faith is concrete.

The word ‘evidence’ is also used…and it is used to speak about the proof of what is not seen.  A very ironic verse. We typically think of not being able to see faith, yet is is ‘proof’…faith is what is seen for that which is unseen.

Faith has been something of a mystery, or an enigma, to me.

How do I get it? (We have just spent a few articles answering that one).

How strong is my faith? (Faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, so seemingly strong faith is not really the issue).

What does it look like and what do I do when I have faith? This is where I am going to focus today.

Let’s say we have a situation that requires some form of supernatural intervention by God. Either instantaneous or over a period time.

FIRST!!!! Faith is the ‘evidence of things not seen.’  IF I CAN SEE HOW THINGS WILL WORK OUT, THEN IT IS NOT FAITH!!!  Why isn’t it faith?  Because I don’t need evidence to prove it, for whatever I see is proof of itself.

It isn’t that we don’t have faith when we see.  It is simply that we don’t need to access our faith when we can see.  I believe that is what 1 Peter 1 is talking about when it says to consider it all joy when we face trials.  Trials purify our faith. It is going through times where the end is uncertain (by earthly means) that our faith has the opportunity to grow.  And the joy we are to have is knowing that in going through a trial we are gaining faith…the necessary component to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

My experience:

I spend time with God…I hear His voice giving me a promise of something to come in the future. (Specific examples of this have been: getting married, jobs, financial answers, ill family members getting healed.)  Then I wait…I wait for His promise to come to fruition.  And usually, I wait a while…at least longer than I wanted.

I usually don’t know exactly why He is waiting…but one thing I do know is the time to wait is ALWAYS His grace giving me the opportunity to have faith in Him and His word.

What do I do in this time of waiting?  I go to the scriptures. I read about how He is always faithful, even when we are unfaithful. I read how He is our provider and always provides what we need…how it is His good pleasure to give me the Kingdom…how He gives us the desires of our hearts if we find our joy in Him…that if His words abide in me, then I can ask anything in His name and it will be given…how He is the same yesterday, today and forever…how He is good.

And, still…I wait.  The walls seem to be closing in…the end seems to be creeping up…and nothing seems to be changing.

So what do I do?…I remember His promise. I declare His promise.  I meditate on all of the scriptures that I just mentioned above…then I remember His promise…I meditate on the scriptures…then I declare the scriptures as truth…I declare the promise He gave me. I do all of this until my outlook changes…until I have found peace, encouragement and strength in Him to continue on until His promise comes.

And that is how I mine for faith in the secret place with God…in my cave with Him.  And when I mine faith in the cave, I get strength, encouragement and comfort. I feel His love and know that He has me in His mind. My heart aligns with His, and that is when I realize that His timing is perfect, and therefore it allows me to focus on the other responsibilities in life that I have in the time between now and then.

Nothing replaces our time with Him in our secret cave. Faith will always be the spoil, which leads us to all other needs and desires we have in Him.

Days Like This

There are just some days in which I am painfully aware of what a mess I am. On days like this, my first reaction is to run, or crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head. Because, honestly, days like this just hurt. Running seems a good choice. To put a large distance between myself and that which hurts me or brings out the worst in me. That person or situation that causes an immediate battle to ensue on the inside of me. I hate days like this…

Days like this–messy and not fun– shine a spotlight on just how perfect I am NOT; on how “together” I am NOT. They show how I obviously don’t measure up to any of the “How to be a better (fill in the blank)” books or articles. They show me that I am weak. I am a mess. I hate days like this, and yet…I have become utterly thankful for days like this.

It never fails on these messy days, in the midst of my running (in the wrong direction) and right before I jump off that cliff of self-condemnation, I am reminded by a strong, loving, and calm voice, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Cor. 12:9 ESV).  His grace. His power. My weakness…His grace.  I can now stop. And breathe. And accept this. But it took me a really long time to learn how to receive such a gift. It’s hard to accept something so beautiful in the middle of my ugliest moments when I KNOW I don’t deserve it. My human nature says, “No, I really can’t accept such an extravagant gift. It’s too much.”

Aren’t we all guilty of this sometimes? Isn’t that why I look around and see people walking around under these giant black umbrellas of condemnation? Because His grace IS an extravagant gift that we don’t deserve. Even it’s very definition tells us that grace is unmerited. Undeserved. And so, we don’t accept it. Or we take it with a polite smile, but never “open” it or fully receive it. We’d rather stay tucked away under our umbrella. It hurts and it blocks our view of the Father, but it’s familiar and it feels deserved, so we can accept this. I know, because this was me for way too long! At some point, however, He finally got through to me and I saw myself through the eyes of my Creator. I saw Jesus- for real– and I tossed my umbrella! (That’s another post entirely!) But now, on my messy days when I try to pick it up again and He gently reminds me of His gift, I can fully accept it. Because now, I fully understand that in those moments when I am keenly aware of how much I don’t deserve His grace– those are the moments I NEED it the most. I know the true love of Christ, and I know the price He paid so that I could freely partake in His love, His forgiveness, His mercy, His grace…His gifts to me. And it IS too much! In fact, it’s so much that I cannot say no. Jesus cannot un-die on the cross. He cannot take His gift back. So, rejecting His grace (or any other gift He gives) is rejecting what He did for me…it is rejecting Him. My life is nothing without Him invading every part of it. What a fool I have been to push away what He bled for and longs to give– just because I have decided what I should and shouldn’t have.

More importantly, we can’t give away what isn’t ours to give. If we truly want to make a positive impact for the Kingdom we do it by being full of forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace–by being so full that we overflow onto those around us. And we only get that full if we choose to receive it wholly for ourselves. Suddenly it becomes so apparent that His gifts to us aren’t just about us anymore. My heart’s desire is to see people (myself included) completely toss the umbrella (condemnation) and grab onto Jesus. To accept all that He is and all that He has to give….to marinate in it, and then to walk in grace and love…FREEDOM.  The kind of freedom that also sets those around us free. No more condemnation.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” (Rom. 8:1-3a ESV)

Freedom. This is our mandate, even on our worst days…maybe especially on our worst days:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isa. 61:1 ESV)

Yes, there are just some days in which I am painfully aware of what a mess I am. Days that remind me of exactly why Jesus had to give His life for me, and how much I need Him. But, if you think nothing good can come out of days like this–then it might surprise you to know that this was written in the middle of one of my worst. Because the truth is, it’s not about my perfection, it‘s about His. His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness.  I am thankful for days like this–these messy, painful days because I can see my living God working in my life. I can look back and see how far He has brought me. I can see Him still heaping His grace upon me, setting me free, transforming me…for His glory and His purpose. And also because He loves me.  I am thankful for days like this because He makes it known that He is with me…that I am not alone. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18-ish  in The Message Bible says this,

“God is a living, personal presence…And when God is personally present, a living spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”

He is living. He is personal. And He is present. Draw close to Him. Ann Voskamp writes in One Thousand Gifts , “If there are wolves in the woods–expect to see wolves; and if there is God in this place–expect to see God.” This stirs my heart. Expect to see God. Expect to see Him even in your messy days. Seek Him out! And if you have a surrendered heart, expect to see Him transform you into something more beautiful. Expect to see His grace…accept it and receive it fully.

Ephesians 4:16

This verse keeps coming to me – for over a year now, “Ephesian 4:16”. I just keep hearing it. So, I
don’t want to rush to any conclusions, but I think the Lord has something in this passage for us now. So
let’s take a look.
Ephesians 4:11-16
“11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect
man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children,
tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him
who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint
supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Now, I am no scholar, but I am noticing something peculiar about this passage, (sort of a Jerry Seinfeld
method of studying the bible). Back in verse 11, Jesus gives us “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors
and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ.” So, He is sending to the body folks with particular giftings designed to build up the body,
right? Then we have a description of what these gifted folks are building up the body to become, vv.
13 – 15. And at the end we have v. 16, situated after the body has been ministered to by the five-fold
ministries and have had some growth towards Christ-likeness. So, we start by having gifted people
minister to the body to bring growth. And later we end up with growth that happens by the joining and
knitting together of each part.
The part that strikes me is that we are joined and knit together by what “every joint supplies”. He
could have said, “by what Jesus supplies”, or “by what the Holy Spirit supplies”. But it doesn’t say
either one of those. It is “by what every joint supplies”. Now a joint is where two parts come together,
so we shouldn’t think of a person as being a joint. It is the bond between people. So here is what I am
saying: Something happens when believers grow with each other, and are united together, so that the
very bond between them releases, from Christ in us, what is needed to build up the body of Christ.
This is what is on the Lord’s mind for us right now.
Relationships can be the toughest part of our lives, even within the body of Christ. But if we will press
through the difficulties of being joined to those around us, believing that God has very intentionally
planted us into the body just where we are, then I believe we will experience the growth for which we
are destined because of His great love for us. We must learn to be with each other in faith, knowing
that being in covenant with His people has great reward.
I love the ministries of Ephesians 4:11; they are encouraging and usually a lot of fun. It’s usually not
too hard to hear God through the gifted and anointed. But how about hearing him through the ones you
see every day of your life? It looks like He has done it again. He has made the wonderful things we’ve
all dreamed about available to us, if we will go through the gate of humility to get them. It takes
humility to hear God in those around us in the body, but I tell you for certain, He is there. And it is just
like God to save the best for last – that we would learn to love each other well, joined together as we
walk in His purposes, and in so doing, would grow into His image.

 

Mining Faith: Hearing His Voice – How To

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

We have been headed down the path to faith. Last time I shared why I believe hearing God’s voice is absolutely vital for our faith (according to Romans 10:17), and therefore an absolute necessity to fulfilling our destiny and full potential in God.  On my last post, I ended with some common questions that I face when pursuing my relationship with God. I was going to take this time to dive into a few of those, but I believe this time something a little more practical is called for, and a lot shorter 🙂

I want to give you a couple exercises that have helped, and continue to help me hear His voice. And let me point out that I don’t do these exercises to ‘practice’ hearing God’s voice. I do them TO hear His voice. It is His voice that I crave more than anything in my relationship with Him. I love to hear what He has to say. I love to converse with Him. And, if I’m being honest (and I don’t think there is anything wrong with this one), I love the confirmation He gives that He is always near.

He longs to be heard by His children more than we are willing to listen.

1. Hearing Him in the scriptures.

The word of God is where we always start with hearing His voice. It is where we get the blueprint for His heart, and therefore the foundational putty needed to know what He says so we can recognize His voice.  He NEVER contradicts His Holy Scripture.

This idea is not original with me. I heard it from Bill Johnson.  I now practice this.  Go to any place in the Bible, but I recommend the Psalms, per Bill’s experience and now my experience, and begin reading.  Continue reading through the Psalms (even if it takes 20 or more Psalms) until you feel His weightiness on a scripture, or the verse jumps off the page, is highlighted, or a verse that speaks into your heart or situation…a verse with eternal life life on it.  That is God putting His power upon that verse for you.  That is His voice.  You have just heard Him.

When this happens for me, I will read and re-read that verse (or section) that was highlighted to me by Him. I will ponder it during the day when I am doing something mindless…like mowing the yard, cleaning the house, running, or driving :), or when I am praying and spending time with God.  Through this pondering I will hear Him speak more and more to my heart, my situation, and why He highlighted the verse to me…and sometimes, it has nothing to do with the verse at all. He simply used a verse that would speak to me as an ‘alarm clock’ to awaken me to His voice.

2. Hearing His Voice for Others

This is my all-time favorite thing to do in the Kingdom. I LOVE to hear His voice for others.  First of all, it gets my head and heart off of me.  When I think about myself, I get self-absorbed, overwhelmed, and sometimes a little depressed. I was created to serve others…and so were you.

Get a pen and paper. Think of someone you know that you would like to encourage, comfort or strengthen. Ask God, “God, what would you like to say to this person?”  Now, sit quietly.  Whatever pops into your head just write down.  If you think of a different name, a color, an animal, an action…if you see a picture or a scene…maybe you see something weird like a grasshopper driving a convertible…it doesn’t matter, just write it down. You are only trying to hear God for this person, not figure out what He is saying to them.  That will be up to them.

Sidenote: I was very particular saying to think of someone you want to ENCOURAGE, COMFORT OR STRENGTHEN. This is per 1 Corinthians 14:3, the purpose of prophecy. Read all of 1 Corinthians 14 to gain a good understanding of who is called to prophesy…EVERY BELIEVER!!

The reason I say you can’t get it wrong is because as long as what you give them is encouraging, comforting or strengthening, even if you heard wrong, the worst thing you have done is encouraged, comforted or strengthened someone.

Pick someone that is safe at first…a spouse, a friend, your pastor….but let it be someone close enough that they will give you feed back.  This way you know that you did indeed hear the voice of the Creator and were used by Him to help someone else.  There is nothing like that feeling in the world!!!

Now! Open your Bibles, get out your pens, journals, paper and begin pursuing the voice of the God who made everything!!!  The same God that made you and knows everything about you…even the number of hairs on your head…and if your bald, well… I guess He can put more focus on other things about you 🙂

Be blessed!!

Have you ever been in a situation where you need God to come through? Have you heard God’s voice about a situation in life, but haven’t seen His promise…and now you are questioning if you heard Him? You DON’T want to miss the next step on Faith. 

BORN Identity

What do you Fear? Are you afraid of never knowing what your purpose is, your destiny?  How do we live in these times? What IS our future? We have failed at so many things in our lives.  Often we are so bitterly disappointed and defeated with ourselves and others we just quit trying. We tell ourselves there is no way to live up to all that people expect of us. There are so many lies…so many misunderstandings, betrayal in friendships and with family members, bitter endings in relationships within the church. How could anyone possibly care what I have to say or what part I play in this crazy life we all lead. I believe we all play a part…a very BIG part!

The Lord spoke his word to me, saying:

“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you.

Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” Jeremiah 1:4

How do we find out what this very special work is that he has for each one of us?  The first step would be to quit looking to the person next to you or around you. Comparison is the root of all discontent!  Wouldn’t you agree that most of us spend so much time wondering if we should or should not be doing this or that… or being something that we are not, that we really don’t even know who we were BORN to be.

There is a movie series that came out years ago called Bourne Identity.  I want to share some of it with you.

A man wakes up on a table in a boat at sea.  He sees that someone has stitched him up. He has no memory of who he is or why he is on this boat. He is scared and angry.  A fisherman walks into the room and tries to calm him down and then begins asking him questions to find out who he is.  The man realizes he does not know who he is.

The boat docks at port and the fisherman sends him off.  The man begins his search to find his identity. He quickly realizes he is being pursued.  There is an enemy out there who wants him dead!  He is quick to catch on to the fact that he must important if they are trying this hard to kill him.

Through a series of events the man finally finds out that his name is Jason Bourne and he is an assassin. This discovery stirs up so much inside of him.  He hates who he has become. Did someone turn him into Jason Bourne or was this who he was BORN to be? As the movies progress (there are three of them) we find out that Jason was actually born as David Webb and his birthday is 4/15/71. 

When Jason finds out who he really is, he is complete.  He is finally FREE!  Jason then knows that he was not BORN to be an assassin but turned into one by man.  He was not created for this purpose. 

What I love about this movie is that Jason never gives up the pursuit to find out who he really is.  How many times do we quit seeking and searching for the truth when we face the ugly or painful inside of us or when we encounter the ugly and painful in someone else?  Jason found out that he killed people for a living…that is what he did!  He was also being pursued by an enemy that was seeking to steal, kill, and destroy him. He had a choice to make at that time. He could quit searching for answers (some that yet might bring more pain) and quietly slip away or he could press on to find True identity that he believed was real!  He never quit until he got what he wanted…FREEDOM! I love this!!!

Can we do it? Can we face all that comes at and against us in our lives to live FREE?! Just like Jason, we have developed habits and instincts to survive in this sinful world we live in. I think a lot of the time these habits and instincts we have actually can become band-aides to help us cope.  It is not necessarily the best thing for us. A band-aide on a wound will not help it heal.  We have to treat the wound as well and most of the time we will have to treat these wounds in the middle of action, in the midst of battle.  We should never wait for a “better time”…if you are wounded you will need to touch the wound where you are to heal it! It does not get better over time by just covering it.

When we begin to really deal with the past and the present in our lives it opens the door to our future.

Jason’s search for truth led him to the ultimate reality that he had initially submitted himself to the process of corruption.  This choice was made based upon his own lack of self-worth.  He had no family, no purpose, nothing to give up…so he thought.  In discouragement of life we can easily accept the lie that our life is worth nothing and in doing so can give Satan a legal entry into our lives.  Once we establish faulty beliefs and patterns of behavior, our entire character can deteriorate, and we can find ourselves wondering “What happened to me?”, “What have I become”.  This discovery led Jason to a drastic shift toward truth and a decision to correct his previous mistakes. He erased the false identity that had been deceptively conditioned within him, and pressed forward into the life he so desired in his heart.

As we begin searing these wounds in our lives, we begin to discover who we are and who we were BORN to be.  How do we do this?  Okay I am touching the wound…now what?  I would say…”First, give this wound to the Lord.”  As he brings up emotions and feelings associated with this wound or wounds let him begin to renew your mind…giving you the mind of Christ.  “Mind renewal is not just changing the way I think.  It is an exchange of identity.”  Ephesians 4:23-24.  As we do this we begin to see Christ in all things.  There is a spiritual shift that will take place here if we will continue to seek after him AND pursue him in all things.  We speak the word over this circumstance and situation.  We continue to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Second, we will need to forgive. God is interested in your heart.  Forgiveness is never about who is right or wrong…it is about obedience! Forgiveness is a choice and a journey.  If you choose forgiveness God will use this process in your lives to literally uproot you from those hurts and issues that are so firmly planted in your life.  This is such an important step because not only will you become free by choosing to forgive but others around you will as well.  (I have so much more to say on this but it will be for another time)

Now for our true identity:  “I am a three part being made up of spirit, soul, and body.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23.  Here is where we find the collision of all we have been through and who we are.  It begins coming together.  Most of us function really well in these areas of our lives separately but imagine them connecting and coming together.  How much more of his life and power would be manifest in our mortal bodies and his signs and wonders displayed on this earth!!

It is Time!  Discover who you really are and who you were BORN to be.  His purpose for you will prevail and your future is in his hands.  You will be wide open to your destiny and the call he has on each one of your lives.  May he be glorified in the church and to you in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

By Kari Roy

Kari Roy is a wife, mother of 3 children, and a dental hygienist who resides in Georgetown, Texas.  There she attends and serves at Celebration Church.  She can be described as a “friend”, not only to those she comes in contact with every day, but especially of God.  Her passion to walk in love has led her into freedom ministry with women.  She is a keynote speaker for “Souled Out Ministries” where she leads conferences and small groups of women through finding freedom in the Lord.  Kari’s deepest passion is abiding in the Father through intent prayer and journaling.  Through these experiences have come healing revelations for herself and for those she ministers to.  Kari can be contacted at: kariroy98@yahoo.com.

Mining Faith: The Process Step 2 – Hearing His Voice

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 NKJV

Last week we began this journey on the path to faith. I began with the importance of seeking the Father’s Heart. We then began using this verse as the map leading to faith by talking about the importance and necessity of beginning with the Word of God. This time we move along to the second ‘checkpoint’…hearing.  Faith is the absolute product of us hearing God’s voice, and therefore hearing what is in His heart.

Hearing God’s voice is absolutely VITAL for faith to be deposited into our souls, and is available for anyone willing to listen to Him.

My walk with God began the day I heard His voice. I had been a believer in Jesus for many years, since I was a boy. But on the day I knew I heard Him without any doubt, I had the proof my heart and mind always desired…that He was real, and He wanted a personal relationship with me.  On that day I gained faith to press forward and FOLLOW Him.

John 10 is the chapter I always turn to when I think about the questions that come up when discussing who can hear God speaking to them.  Jesus is clear in this teaching that ALL of His sheep (followers of Him) not only hear his voice, but recognize it (John 10:4).

What happens when God speaks to us…I think Peter said it best when Jesus asked the disciples if they wanted to join the other people leaving:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68

Peter is basically saying here that when Jesus spoke, the disciples didn’t always understand what He was saying, but they could feel the ‘life’…a greater weight…a greater authority…on His words. And it was because of the ‘eternal life’ on His words they knew He was the Holy One of God.

You will notice that Romans 10:17 doesn’t say that faith comes by hearing and understanding.  It is only by hearing.  God’s voice carries such life, authority and weight within it that understanding what He says is not necessary to gain faith in Him. It is simply by catching the wind of His voice that we are moved.

I can assure you that even the followers of Christ today who believe that God no longer speaks have heard His voice.  Jesus explains it this way when Peter confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, the Christ:

‘And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”‘ Matthew 16:17

It is only by His voice that we get faith in who He is.  It begins with His word, the Bible, to gain a reference for who He is and the Truth in which He remains always faithful.  But, it is by hearing Him that we begin to understand that He loves us and knows each of us, personally.

Let me say it this way: Faith comes by hearing.  Faith in God comes by hearing God’s voice. How do we remain in a place that can discern God’s voice from all other voices?  We begin with His word, which leads to hearing HIS voice, which gives faith Him.

How do you hear His voice?  How does He speak?  How do I know it is His voice? What if I hear and listen to the wrong voice? I am trying to listen for Him, but I can’t seem to hear…What is wrong with me?  These are all questions and situations I find myself many times in during the pursuit of His voice.  I am going to post on some practical ways to practice hearing Him next time, before we move into Step 3 – Faith. God bless!!

Mining Faith: The Process Step 1 – The Word of God

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  Romans 10:17 NKJV

This scripture is a road map. We start at ‘A’. In order to get to ‘C’, we must first go through ‘B’.  This map begins at the destination, so in order to know our starting place we have to read it backwords:

.tsirhC fo drow eht yb gniraeh dna ,gniraeh morf semoc htiaf oS

Just kidding 🙂

We actually do need to look at it in reverse order to understand this map, where we start, where we are headed, and the destination.  There are 3 distinct points of interest: ‘faith’, ‘hearing’ and ‘the word of God.’  This map starts with ‘faith comes’, and is therefore telling us that faith is the destination on this particular map. (We will discuss the importance of faith in ‘Mining Faith: The Process Step 3 – Faith).

How do we get to Faith? From hearing.  Hearing what? Hearing the voice of God…we will dive into this in more detail next time (Step 2).

Okay, faith comes by hearing God’s voice. How do I hear God’s voice?  By the word of God.

In the original language, the word we translate ‘the word’ is ‘rhema’, meaning ‘utterance’.  And the word we translate ‘God’ in this scripture is ‘theos’ meaning ‘Deity’.  I am not an original language scholar, but it is very important here to understand what is actually being taught.

Let’s read Romans 10:17 this way: Faith comes by hearing, and the ability to hear comes from the ‘utterances of God’. The Bible is the written utterances of God. It is the foundation on which our relationship with God is based, the manual and map to His heart…The written letter from God, giving us everything we need to know to begin our walk with Him. It is in the written word of God where we gain the description of God that helps us recognize His voice from all others.

So, in order to have faith we must first begin in the word of God.

Jesus said this: “You studythe Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,” John 5:39

Don’t study the Bible for understanding information…Study the Bible for understanding and getting to know the person,  Jesus!!!

Do you study the Bible, but think that hearing God’s voice is only for people in Biblical times? Maybe you think God speaks, but you aren’t ‘good enough’ or ‘important enough’ for Him to speak to you. Maybe you believe God does speak to all of His children, but you aren’t good at hearing Him. And the only way for you to know its His voice is if He ‘yells’ at you.  Then you DO NOT want to miss Mining Faith: The Process Step 2 – Hearing. Everything I just described is a lie from the enemy. God does speak to you…and it is much simpler to hear Him than you think…

Mining Faith: Knowing His Heart

Mining for faith. This is a phrase that came to me about our search for faith, and the process in which we undergo to please the Father (we only please God with the presence of Faith – Hebrews 11:6).

We are encouraged by Jesus to spend time with the Father in ‘the secret place’ and pray to Him there.  This is a reference to us having personal time with the Father.  Scripture refers to this as going into a closet, but I heard a reference to us being in a cave mining for the jewels of the Kingdom with the Father.  And no doubt that Faith is one of the jewels of the Kingdom.

I will cover in later posts some specific ways that scripture explains where faith comes from, as well as what makes it grow.  But here I want to shortly explain a truth that I have found about how my faith in my relationship with the Father has grown in the last few years.

God has shown me that by knowing His heart I get the clearest understanding of who He is…for His heart is where His nature and character are defined.  He cannot contradict His heart because that would contradict who He is, and He is clear that He cannot contradict Himself (Matthew 12:25).

The clearer I see who He is, the more I become like Him:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 3:18 NASB

This scripture is saying that by seeing Him, it is as if we are looking in a mirror.And by focusing on that image we become like Him through a process (glory to glory).  For more on process see Expectations Part 2 by Ray Lindsey.

My faith in the relationship I have with the Lord has grown exponentially simply by learning about His heart.  What do I mean? I mean that His heart is the very essence of Him. And if I know His heart, then I know Him. My first steps began here:

1) God is love (1 John 4:8).  I know He is love, and therefore His heart leads His movements towards everyone in the world in love.  More specifically: Everything He does, everything He stands for, and everything that He wills is founded in love for love is who He is.

2) God is Good (Nahum 1:7). This verse says that He IS good.  That means He is ALL good  It doesn’t say He is partially good…it says He IS good…all of Him.  Therefore, there is no BAD in Him.

3) His will is that all are saved, healed and delivered (John 3:17): “For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be SAVED through him;” (emphasis added).  The word ‘saved’ in Greek is Strong’s #4982: sozo (pronounced sode’-zo) to save, i.e. deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):–heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

4) “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NASB  I know that even if I make a mistake, or if an obstacle comes into my life that God put there, then I can rest knowing that it will be used for His good, and therefore my good.

These 4 absolutes about God’s heart MUST produce faith.  If we understand that He loves us completely, that He is good, that He wants us saved, healed and delivered (living the abundant life ~ John10:10), AND that He will turn any mistakes or bad circumstances around for His good (which is also for our good), how can we not have faith in our relationship with Him?  Answer: We can’t!!! 🙂

THEREFORE, by going into the secret cave and seeking His heart in our time spent with Him, we will naturally mine faith for His purpose in our life. And this faith leads us to all doors in the Kingdom.

Wondering how to ‘practically’ mine the secret cave with God for faith? Next time…