“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”John 11:25-26 NLT
The month of September is coming to an end, and I am specifically grateful to my Father for His goodness and grace. His hand is truly over our lives and He continues being the best. I pray that you also had a wonderful month and grateful for who the Lord has been to you.
In our last blog for this month we are talking about us, the one’s who believe. Those who have obtained faith from God, Ephesians 2:8-9 says; “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” A Christian’s life is lived through faith hence God made it of importance that we receive this gift. I think if there’s one phrase we have heard Jesus say a lot in the bible is; “ if only you believe”. There are ways that only faith opens, you can be the strongest in stature or the smartest but there are somethings that can only be accessible through faith. When you are a child of God it’s no longer about some things but all things being attainable through faith. Those who believe hear the word of God, and take a step in faith. An action that follows after hearing the word is taken in faith, not because the season looked favourable or there’s a signal that one anticipated. The one who believes moves because God spoke. God’s word is enough to cause those who believe to act.
Let’s look at Noah, a man who God spoke to when corruption had filled the earth. God wanted to restore the world and He was going to do it through Noah. God told him to build an ark, He gave him clear instructions on how that ark should be built. The bible says; “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”
Genesis 6:22 NIV. No matter how it sounded, the man did as he was told. Maybe it didn’t even look like it was going to rain, but because God said it, Noah did everything to get ready for that. He believed in every word spoken by God, so he started building as instructed. Imagine being his son or daughter, being called for a meeting and told that we are going to live in an ark until God says we can come down. I don’t know what went through their minds but the bible says that they all went into that ark, with everything else God told them to go with. Day 1 passed and the family was inside the ark. Waiting, then the bible says that on the seventh day, it started raining. What God told them will happen had started happening, everything God says is true. The family saw the word of God come alive before their eyes, they felt the ark being lifted by the water but they were kept safe. Noah’s faith had saved his family, his obedience to God’s word covered his family. Those who believe cover the generations to come, their faith is not just for the now moment but also for years to come. Even when it had stopped raining the man waited for God to say; “ come out”. In Genesis 8:16 God said; “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.” No matter how strong the rain came down, God remembered the covenant He made with Noah. No harm shall befall him and his family. I can imagine Noah coming down, and seeing what had happened, praising God for saving his life and being gracious enough to warn him. It’s moments like these when our faiths and minds are renewed, he came down as a different man. A man who heard God, even when it looked like building that ark was too much. He did it anyway. No matter the cost, he did it. Heaven brought the ability because Noah believed in this word.
It probably costed him something but what mattered was what God had said. “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.”
Hebrews 11:7 MSG. The one who believes sees the unseen and makes necessary preparations for the time to come. The one who believes is positioned to partner with heaven and bring mysteries to the world. Their believing echoes through generations, their actions are a result of obedience to God’s word.
Those who believe do not boost in their own capability or strength but the Lord’s. He carries them, He provides for them. Our humanly senses are permanently closed and we operate in faith, where limitations do not exist. what could have looked impossible is now possible because we believe. Jesus said; “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Mark 11:23 NIV. Heaven responds to faith, if you’ve been believing for something and it looks like it’s taking time, continue believing. As long as you have faith, heaven will respond. Jesus said that if we believe then it will be done for us, we will not do it by ourselves. There’s a higher institution that moves when faith is activated, one that sees a mountain as a small object. An institution that is not subject to time. An institution that all power comes from ! Those who believe are in the right hands, the One they believe in will not sleep on them. He knows the future, so He will prepare them and position them for the time to come.
I pray that you be counted as those who believe, I pray that you stand in faith and see the impossible happen. May the Holy Spirit fill you with faith and cause you to mount up with wings like an eagle. I pray that your faith echoes through your family, your nation and everyone else. May you behold Jesus as you believe, I pray that He finds you still living a life of faith when He returns. Amen