Growing Strong in Faith
Genesis 13:14-17, “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
The life of Abraham is a wonderful example of what it means to walk by faith. The Bible says we are to walk in the steps of faith that Abraham, our father in the faith, also walked. (Romans 4:12).
If we look at his life, we can see that Abraham didn’t start with this amazing, strong faith; it was a process. God took him on a faith adventure, starting with just leaving his father's house for a land God would show him, and through his obedience to God’s instructions, step by step, he grew strong in faith and became the father of many nations.
Abraham’s life is an encouragement to us! If he can do it, we can do it too! We are of the same faith as Abraham.
If we look at where he started, we can see how God was working in him, teaching him how to live and walk by faith. It started with a new way of looking and thinking about things. Notice how God says in Genesis 13:14, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are.” This was God revealing to Abraham a higher perspective, a new way of looking at things. Leave behind what you’re used to, leave behind the disappointments and struggles of life, because in God, there is more. In God, there is hope.
God’s plans for us are so wonderful, so big, so good, that it requires faith in order for us to walk in it. In other words, we can’t fulfill God’s plans and promises in our own ability and knowledge; it will require faith in God to partake of all that He has for us.
Growing strong in faith starts with us leaving behind our old way of thinking, reasoning, and perceiving, and believing that what God has for us is better!
The next step to growing strong in faith is taking what God has shown you and letting that picture of what He has shown you be established in you.
Even when all hope and all natural reasoning for Abraham and Sarah to have a son was gone, Abraham was convinced that what God had promised, He was able to perform. God took Abraham outside and told him to look at the stars; if he could number them, that was the number of descendants he was going to have. Why did God tell him to look at the stars? Because it created a picture in the inside of Abraham so that every time he went outside at night, he could look at the stars and let his heart imagine the reality of God’s promise.
In order for us to have strong faith and walk in the steps of Abraham, we too can take what God has said to us and let that picture of what He said become a reality in our hearts. That may look like printing out Scriptures and putting them all over your house to remind yourself what He has promised you. It may require you to put up photos and images of what God said to you about your future. It may require changing the way you speak about yourself and how you talk about your future in order to establish what He has said in your heart.
No matter what it takes, let what He has said become a reality in your heart. Despite the passing of time, despite tests and trials, that image will hold you steady because you know that God is always faithful to perform His Word in our lives.
It is vital for us to remember that we are not the performers of God’s promises; we are the believers of His promise. It takes away all the struggle and fear.
Growing strong in faith is simple:
We take what God has said, believe it as true. We look up and look from where we currently are and see the greatness and goodness of His plan.
We establish that truth in our hearts. We get the picture of what He has said into our hearts.
We remember that God is the One who performs His Word, and we rest in what He has said.
Remember that this is a process! Where you are at is not where you will be! Continue walking the faith journey, and just like Abraham, you will grow strong in faith and live in the wonderful plans that God has for you.
Remember, we love you, and we are praying for you.
Blessings,
Chloe
