“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
How important is it that we exercise faith in the normal routine of our daily lives? Without it, pleasing God is not possible. It is exciting to consider what lies within the realm of possibility when we are actively trusting God. He is looking for those who will believe His Word and claim His promises. We can sincerely come to Him in faith, knowing “that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” All things are possible with God, but without faith, “it is impossible to please him.”
To be growing Christians who seek to please the Lord, it is imperative that we grow in our faith life. To do so, we must recognize and repent of the serious sin of unbelief, and work at allowing God to replace our doubt with dynamic belief. Most believers do not seriously consider their unbelief as direct disobedience. We can become so accustomed to self-reliance that we fail to realize that we are not actively trusting the Lord. The disciples were reproved on a number of occasions for their unbelief. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” (Mark 16:14). Unbelief is the thing that limits God. Not only does unbelief limit God, it also hinders us in our spiritual lives. Doubt must be seen as an enemy to the work, both in our lives and through our lives.
To grow in our faith life, we must make much of God’s Word in our lives. Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It is through God’s Word that He reveals His will and provides our confidence in prayer. Through the Words of Scripture, God speaks to our hearts. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (I John 5:14, 15). Our faith motivates us to keep looking to the Lord and trusting Him to act according to His will. As we discover His will in His Word, we can trust Him to bring it to pass. God is pleased as we depend on Him. – Thomas Smith
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
