Just a Little Faith
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Growing in Faith
Growing in Faith
Placing my thoughts and actions within the commands of God has been difficult throughout my life. It is a difficult thing when the world whispers so much that only what you can see is what is real. Our eyes are born blinded to what God has in store for us. It takes an act of faith to give ourselves over to what we cannot see in order to experience what God already knows for us to be true.
In the great hall of faith in Hebrews 11, those who understood faith were the ones who witnessed God’s actions. I notice that those who are among the listed faithful are the ones who did not see the immediate outcome of their promise.
In my life of living in a country where immediate gratification is what is desired, I must take a step back to realize God is patient and true. His promises are His to fulfill and not dependent upon what I believe of them.
Definition of faith is this: Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the men of old gained approval.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Easy to Doubt
Easy to Doubt
Throughout life, it is easy to place our thoughts with the majority and believe that what we cannot see does not exist. When faced with what is right in front of us, we fear, we worry, and we believe our past is the only thing that matters. It is what defines us when we doubt.
Our enemy likes to plant those seeds in our mind to deter us from understanding what God wants from us.
When we have given ourselves over to noticing how small we are compared to the world, compared to the giants out there who would devour us, compared to other churches who do things differently, compared to the rest of the world who looks to be consumed by evil, our doubt clogs our mind’s ability to place our thoughts into God’s promises.
However, faith placed in the gardeners hand allows us to become what is intended.
Small Faith brings Great Results
Small Faith brings Great Results
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The nation of Israel was small in number compared to the mighty nations around it. Out of the small number, God grew them into a collective people who went into the world and spread the wonder of His Name.
Jesus’ words here are reflective of the nature of small faith becoming something great. The seed planted in the ground must give itself up to the control of the gardener.
It is placed into the ground surrounded by the darkness without light, without what it has held onto for so long while it was part of something else.
Once it is in the ground, the water, sunlight, rain, and the design within the seed allows it to become something much greater.
Each one of us contains something within that desires to know our creator and reaches for the understanding of His kingdom.
Jesus’ words to us here are reflective of that nature. Without giving into the Father’s design, we will only remain small and useless in the world.
Once we place our faith in God, we are capable of so much more.
‘All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs, And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade.
Jesus’ words here reference Ezekiel’s reminder of the small nature of kingdoms of the world which grew up to be noticed by the world as great and far spreading. However, the end of Ezekiels chapter reminds that those who do not place their faith correctly with God will dwindle to nothing and become a fallen tree/ fallen branch.
Our sustenance relies upon keeping our faith with God.
When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days,
Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.
All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
“Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”
So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
“If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey.
“Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
How great were the people that had made it so far through the wilderness to give up and want to return to what they knew?
Even when confronted with what they could see of God, they did not place their faith in Him. They placed their faith in themselves and the comforts of what they knew even thought it was detrimental to their people.
God had performed so many miracles for them to be able to make it this far into their journey. They were sustained only by God’s providence.
And yet, they turned their backs on God again and again.
The two spies who were courageous enough to speak up against the multitude of the congregation and the majority of the people were the only ones blessed to continue into the land of milk and honey.
Only the ones who placed their faith in God and not their fear of what their minds may have conjured up.
Judah’s faith
Judah’s faith
From the tribe of Judah hails the spy, Caleb and then further down the line, Jesus Christ.
From the majority of the group came fear, trembling, trepidation, and a desire to return to what was comfortable because it is what they knew.
The mustard seed, while small, allows itself to be completely transformed into something different. Its complete surrender to God brings about the greatness which comes later through patience and providence.
Start Small
Start Small
Your enemy would have you believe you must muster up an army great enough for yourself to overcome your fears before you place your faith in God. You may fear that you are not smart enough of the ways of Jesus to follow Him. Your fear may guide you to attempt to explain the things of this world are greater than you ever could be so you never put your faith fully in God.
It is not for you to know fully the plans God has in store for you. You are made by God for His glory. While we desire to retain control we are only capable of placing our faith in what we already are.
God sees what we will become. He sees the small seed that you are and the future that He will bring from you.
You only have to start small. Place a little faith in Him. Continue to exercise that faith and it will grow. In the great hall of faith in Hebrews 11, the people mentioned were not always faithful. They had doubts as well but they did not give up nor return to their old ways.
You must not give up either. Continue to place your faith in the everyday practices that God desires for you. Do not expect to tower over the world immediately. God allows the growth to occur in you at His rate, not yours.
Believe Big
Believe Big
Joshua and Caleb’s faith was not in their smallness but in the greatness of God who had fulfilled all His promises to them so far. Why would they not believe they would be delivered into the promised land by God?
Self-preservation turned the majority of the congregation over to fear of the unknown. It was better for them to return to slavery than to enjoy the benefits of the promised land.
The majority which complained of the things they feared outweighed the minority who placed their faith in God’s promises.
However, God is the one who retains control.
God is the one who must deliver on His promises.
The church nor any one individual can further along the cause of God on our own. We must do so in surrender to God’s will.
We must remember there are those who need to see small steps of faith in order to place more of themselves with God.