A FAITH THAT MOVES
It’s a beautiful, crisp 34-degree afternoon here in Thompsons Station, TN. As I look out at the fresh snow slowly disappearing from the hills around our new home I find myself asking the question, “How did we get here?” You see, my wife Stacey and I grew up in the very warm weather climate of Southern California. We’ve spent the last 20 years in Arizona where 168 days per year reach above 90 degrees, and it routinely reaches 110 plus in the summer months! So, how DID we get here? I’m glad you asked. Let me start by sharing this verse.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
This is a scripture that can sometimes be difficult to receive. We are constantly being thrust into situations and moments where our faith is tested. All born again believers have the power in Christ to establish the kingdom everywhere they go. The ruler of this world is constantly trying to get us to compromise in our faith. Why? Because a faith-filled believer is a threat to the kingdom of darkness!
Walking in faith is pleasing to the Lord but can sometimes create challenges for the believer. About a year ago I was leading worship at a conference in Oregon. I received a prophetic word that my family was going to move. At the time, we had absolutely no intention of moving. None whatsoever! We were very comfortable living in Phoenix, AZ, surrounded by great friends, family, and rooted in a church we adored. However, by God’s hand, we slowly started to see the pieces come together. We felt the Lord leading us to partner with Scott & Lydia Ingegneri as they launched Awaken Ministries International. The Ingegneri’s had already begun their transition from Phoenix to Nashville where they would plant their family and move forward with Awaken. We really had no idea what this looked like for us or how this opportunity would play out. All we knew was that God was calling us to move to Nashville, and partner with the vision of Awaken Ministries. We had to step out into the unknown; relying only on His voice, His word, and the prophetic direction we had received.
FAITH. Just typing this word gets me excited! I LOVE this stuff! The word faith appears 474 times in the ESV translation of the bible. Faith is at the very core of who we are as believers.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
In Hebrews 11 the author gives us a definition of faith:
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”
According to this verse, a faith-filled believer will have confidence in what they hope for, pray for, hear from the holy spirit, or read about in scripture. A confidence that it will actually happen! He or she will believe in things they cannot see as if we can see them. I would like to suggest that walking in this definition of faith is not something we have to do as believers but it is something we get to do as believers. Walking in Faith in this life is an incredible opportunity that we won’t always have. Even in Heaven.
“For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.””
In this reference to Christ’s 2nd coming the Apostle Paul gives us a prophetic picture of what is to come. We will all (believers and unbelievers) bow our knee and confess that Jesus is Lord. Until that day comes we have an incredible opportunity that we will not have in heaven. We get to walk with confidence that what we hope for will actually happen! We get to walk in assurance about the things we cannot see. We will only have this opportunity here in this life because in heaven what we hoped for will have happened and what we once could not see will be seen.
We have the opportunity here and now to show the Father a level of faith that we will not be able to show Him even in heaven.
Isn’t that awesome? We get to step out and trust God, heal the sick, worship our God with abandonment, and pray and intercede for things we are hoping and believing for. We can be sure of the things we cannot see. For me, that means I got to pack up and move my whole family to a cold climate! Why? Because God loves it when we step out in faith and it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32). He will show up and will do wonders among you (Josh 3:5). He is the God of Miracles!
Your breakthrough may be just on the other side of a moment of faith; a moment of perseverance. Sometimes God is waiting for us to step out in faith before He moves. I sometimes picture Him cheering us all on from the sideline: go, my child, go!
So today I want to challenge you to shift your mindset on faith. I urge you to view faith as an incredible opportunity to please the Lord and show the world the power, faithfulness, and love of Christ. I pray we might be a body of Christ-followers who are hungry to see the glory of God revealed on earth as it is in Heaven. Every moment of every day we have an opportunity to show the Lord our faith on this side of heaven.
I always say, “Stepping out in faith builds faith”. It is not without its challenges at times, but it is the reality of a born again, new creation believer. All of creation is waiting in eager expectation!
Stepping out in faith is an investment, a deposit in the bank that is our relationship with the Lord.
We should be faithful because He is faithful. This is the reality of a biblically aligned walk with the Lord. As we step out in faith He answers us, and this builds our faith. It also draws us closer to Him and causes a response in us to want to be with Him more. This is true intimacy with the Lord and that is what we were created for!
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!”
I pray this blog post helps draw you closer to the Father and increases your courage to walk in greater faith.
Blessings and Shalom,
Nick Romes