Devotionals for the Heart: Learning how to live by faith in God

Living by Faith 
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

~Heb. 11:1 (KJV)

I think we all struggle in areas of faith. How do we get it? How much do we need? Will I stand in faith during the hard times? God’s Word says, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." ~Romans 10:17 (KJV)

How much faith do we need to move the mountains in our way? Jesus said, “Because of your unbelief: verily, I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” ~Matthew 17:20 (KJV)

So now we know that we all have a measure of faith. From my own perspective, I have learned in order for me to have faith in the hard times I have to stay "built up" before they come. I strive to stay in God’s Word and prayed up so when the crisis arrives I won’t be caught unprepared. We should always be ready for the unexpected. God is faithful, and we can trust Him no matter what comes our way.

Another criterion for water-walking faith is not to live in sin. The Bible says, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." ~1 John 1:7 (KJV)

As long as you walk in what light you have, there is cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. However, if you persist in living in wrongdoing, you are going to get into trouble sooner or later. However, God extends His grace to us so that when we confess our sins, He is just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). The sin issue is a biggie. We all sin. I often feel like Paul by doing the things I shouldn’t and not doing the things I should. The older I get the more aware I am of my shortcomings but when I confess my wrongdoing God is faithful and reminds me He’s not done with me yet.

In the eighties, my husband and I were preparing for a life-changing trip to Israel. Where we lived at the time there were many home invasions going on. Being away for ten days caused some concern, but I trusted God to protect what belonged to us. We had no family in the area but a wonderful older couple who lived next door. My husband was expecting a package to arrive while we were away so I asked our neighbor if they would look out for it. They were happy to do so. Needless to say, our trip was and still is the most amazing trip of our lifetime. Our return home brought us a total surprise and definitely renewed our faith in God’s promises to us as believers.

I walked over to our neighbors not only to pick up our mail and package but to give them the gift we’d picked out for them. My neighbor told me what a wonderful alarm system we had. She eagerly related that when she opened the storm door to pick up the delivered package, the alarm went off. I had a huge smile on the inside of me because that was God’s alarm system. I couldn’t wait to tell her that we didn’t have an alarm system. We had prayed that God would protect our home and bless His name, He did. That was a wonderful testimony and an opening to witness to our precious neighbor.

I can’t tell you how many times God has done the miraculous in our lives. I remember reading somewhere that God is as faithful as we believe Him for. I strive to walk by faith. There are many areas where my faith is weak, but I work through the trust issues. I can honestly say He will be there when you call on His name. WE CAN TRUST HIM.

I hope this is an encourager for you today. Our world is so stressed and there are so many hurting people, especially our youth. I can’t urge you enough to trust God with your loved ones and family. He is as close as your next breath. Things might appear hopeless and a situation impossible, but I can honestly say He has not forgotten you. So, remember you have a measure of faith, and you can build it up by believing YOU are who GOD says you are. If we stumble and fall and make a mess of everything God ‘s not going to be mad at you, instead He’ll be mad about you. He loves you more than you can imagine.

~*~

Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice.

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.

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