Faith is Not A Magic Pill But A Proven Help In Hard Times

The world is full of experts who are ready to tell you, or should I say sell you, the key to success. It doesn't matter if you are starting a dance school, writing your first book or wanting to sell mattresses, there is someone who knows the keys to making it successful. Many of these people do have great ideas and successful track records, which is something we all want. What about the key to success in our Christian lives? Wouldn't it be nice if there were sections in the Bible like headlines we read on the internet?

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It would be nice, but God didn't write the Bible with headlines like we write for blog posts! That doesn't mean the truth we need isn't there. On the contrary, even though it isn't written with such a flashy headline, there is a universal principle in the Bible that will help us no matter what kind of difficulty we are facing: faith.

The Two Characteristics of Faith

An entire chapter in the Bible is devoted to the topic of faith. In the first verse of the chapter we’re given two key characteristics of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says,

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

From this verse we see two key characteristics of faith.

1. Faith is real. It’s personal. It’s something we have in our possession. It’s the firm knowledge that something we hope for is real. We don’t hope blindly or foolishly but based upon a promise of God. Our faith in that promise gives us the present assurance of future blessing and hope!
2. Faith demonstrates the existence of a reality that we cannot yet see. Faith gives us proof in our hearts, certainty of something not yet seen. We have evidence of something that has not yet happened, that has not yet been seen.

3 Ways Faith Helps Us

1. Having the assurance of something we hope for gives us a way to persevere through hard times, times of waiting, times of struggle, times of uncertainty.
2. Faith is a forward looking capacity that enables a person to venture forth with courage and peace into the unknown future with confidence. It is confidence based upon God’s word.
3. Faith enables us to maintain a steadfast commitment to God.

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How To Use Faith In Your Circumstance Today

• Find a promise of God that applies to your situation.
• Pray that promise/verse back to God. For example, for finances, pray back Philippians 4:19, discouragement John 14:1, fear 1 John 4:18, etc.
• Sort through, talk through your situation with the Father until you trust Him. It may take a while. Don’t stop until you trust Him.
• The peace of God will fill your heart.

[Tweet "Give faith in God a chance. How’s the alternative working out for you?"] How have you learned to live by faith? Please leave a question or comment below.