Faith As a Foundation

“I have learned from an eagle that has very away visibility. It means I always trying to put my vision and mission not only for the short term but even for long term. I also always trying and learning to look every difficulty with the eyes of faith not only by naked eye. As long we doing what is God wants, I think we do not need to doubt and worry about the future success. I always trying to put and use my faith as foundation. With having strong faith to God we able to face any difficulties and even do not to worry and doubt about what tomorrow will bring” Explanation above is the statement from one my business friend when she asked how to see and face any difficulties in life.
My dear readers, once again it is talked about faith or faith in God. A Word which already familiar in Christian life. Many times we always heard people said that we should to have strong faith, put our faith above of all, walking by faith, etc. Faith is easy to say but oftentimes so hard to be applied. In everyday live many times we really hard to see the future without worry. The Bible said:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

(Hebrews 11:1)

There is a wonderful and encouraging quote from Corrie Ten Boom that I always remember:

Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.

When I ponder this verse and quote, I conclude that faith is a foundation of everything what we hope also is a proof of everything that we have not see. Stare with faith will make us do not need to worry to looking the future. Looking with faith will make us could see every God’s promise even before its promise comes. However, why we can be so sure?! Here is the answer:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

What a wonderful and encouraging verse. But once again, without faith it is impossible to believe. Our ability to have far visibility is very limited. Not be able to take us to see the future fulfillment. We just wait and wait. And oftentimes it will make us waver and doubt. Then how we could believe? Once again Bible verse in Hebrews 11:1 should to be our foothold so that we can see the evidence of everything that have not seen. Only by faith that will enables us to keep calm, trust and keep walking without doubt to see our future success.
One question arises. How big faith do we need? Have Faith as big as a mountain or an ocean? No. Not at all! Jesus even said conversely. Jesus said:

“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Just as a mustard seed? Please do not have wrong perception. In this context Jesus is not talking about size but talk about the result of our faith that getting bigger and stronger.This verse means as a believer we should always strengthen our faith in facing any kind of difficulties. Jesus Said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”(Matthew 13:31-32)

This means that Jesus wants our faith to grow bigger and stronger day by day, because He wants us to build our trust as the foundation of a strong faith. Trust is the potential energy that is able to move what might impossible become possible. Then how to keep our faith continues to grow? There is only one way, that is involving God in the process of our faith growth. We can ask the Lord to be involved in our life so that the faith we try to grow will be even increase.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)

The result of our spiritual and faith growth will be seen in how we react when facing difficult situation and uncertain future. Our reaction and how we look any difficulties will represent indeed how big our faith and how far we believe to God’s plan and His wonderful promise.

Let our eyes just looked at the difficulties that we are facing would not give any benefit. We need open our eye of faith to see promises which God has provided to us. We need our eyes of faith to looking away to overcome every difficulty. The eye of faith needed in order to we do not waver, doubt, and worry in running our life.

My dear readers, actually I don’t know what is your burden now, what of difficulties you face today, how worry you are to see the future. This time I would like to encourage you, if we face it all with faith, we open our eyes of Faith and put it as a strong foundation, I strongly believe that we wouldn’t worry about everything happens in our future. And we will see the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Faith is like a baby who always needs the best nutrition to keep growing. The best nutrition for the growth of our faith is God’s words. Let us continue feed our faith to grow by reading and comprehend God’s word every day and implementing it by deeds.

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (James 2:22)

further strengthens our relationship with God through prayer, Involving God in every step of our lives, ask for the strength and wisdom, and let His Holy Spirit anoint our life so ultimately we will have faith as a mustard seed. The question is: Do we have a yearning to continue to make our faith grow? Or whether we’ve put our faith as a solid foundation in our lives? Do we’ve opened the eyes of faith to see wonderful future without worry? Let’s ponder together. Amen.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1-2, MSG)
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So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
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Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom

Karina – Living by Faith
Related article: Feed Your Faith by Heidi Viars
Photo by Sue Nash. heavenlyraindrops.wordpress.com

Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed

“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

I think there are still many people who have wrong perceptions or misconceptions about this parable. This morning I found it on my friend. She called me in the midst of my busy time. I had to postpone some of my appointment today to talk with her. My friend said: “Karin!  Until now I still could not move “the mountain” as it says in Matthew 17:20. The problem that I told you few weeks ago still there!  And everything that I asked to God seems not answered. How come?” then I listened to her ravings about this issue.

This is once again about faith. But she had misconception about faith which was written in its verse. She believed it to mean that if she prayed “the mountain” she lived on would move. So she prayed and prayed again but hence “the mountain” did not move. My friend’s problem is similar with Jesus’ disciples who had been relying on their own power to cast a devil out of child. (Matthew 17:18, 19). The disciples asked to Jesus why they were unable to cast out the devil. Then Jesus spoke to them this parable is about the grain of mustard seed to show them that they only needed a small amount of faith in Him to have made the devil leave the child.

My dear blogger, this parable applies to us as well. When we put our trust and faith in God anything is possible for Him. It is not the faith alone that makes it possible. God produces the result because of our faith in Him. We cannot simply will something to happen and say I have faith that I can make this happen. It can only come through trust in The Lord. “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

After listening to her long complaint, I asked my friend to refer a Bible verse from Matthew 26:39: “…My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” When we ask to God for something and have faith in Him to answer our prayer, we have to follow Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before Jesus was arrested. We have to trust that God knows what is best for us and that He will work for our Goodness. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”(Romans 8:28).

There may be times when our prayer is not answered. But do not these things make our faith become wavering. We should to remember that God’s will is not our will and God’s will is the best for us.Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane should be a good example for us that let God’s will be done for us. Having a good faith is not enough without trust and knowing what God’s will is. We often pray with faith in God but behind our prayer we still expect that our will that be done, not God’s will.

Finally, I give bit suggestions to my friend to spend more time with God, learn about God in His word, read the bible every day and make daily reflecting on His word, spend more time with God through prayer. It all will strengthen our faith in God. God always has a purpose in every our problems. Although our problems seem unsolved, God is at work behind our problems. We just need to put our faith in God, trust in Him, do not put our faith just for our own will but learn to comprehend what God’s will upon us. Amen.

“Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.” (Proverb 28:26)

“Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2:12)

 Bible verse suggestion from Bob :“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

Karina – Living by Faith

Photo credit: beaconfallscongregational.org

Keep The Faith

When we have lunch together, my fiancé shared something about Ivan, his employee, who was having severe problem. I asked to him: “what kind of problem?” Then my fiancé said: “I thought, maybe God was testing his faith. His father got kidney disease and meanwhile his little sister has a problem with drugs.”

I am speechless for a moment. It is really hard for Ivan. Not so easy to faced two big problems at the same time. Then I asked to my fiancé: “what can we do for Ivan?” “Pray, sweetheart! Pray and encourage him to keep on his faith. He had started to complain. Why, why and why! I think this is serious. I am afraid his faith getting weak and weaker, and he no longer complaining, but starts to blame God!”

My dear friends, this is life. We often have a problem with our faith. My mind drifted to my daddy who ever told an illustration about faith, Why does God allow many big problems get into our lives.

To find out how sharp a knife, we should have to bring a piece of meat, we must test it by cutting that meat.  To know a pen can be used or not, we should have to bring a sheet of paper and try to write on that paper. To determine the efficacy of a detergent, we should have to bring dirty clothes and try to wash it.

That is an illustration of one of the reasons why God allows problems; challenges and uncertainty get into our lives. We are confronted with many of problems to test our faith, so that we want to rely on His strength and show that faith is real power in our lives.

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.(Matthew 17:20)

The Ivan’s problem can be our musings. If we have a big problem like him, let’s refer to this verse above. This Bible verse tells us; there is nothing impossible if we  have put a little faith in God, like a mustard  seed, God will move and solve our problems. The question for us is; what about us. Whether we have put big faith in God? If we are truly believe that there is nothing impossible when we have faith in God and not standing on our own wisdom? Amen.

“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”. (1 Corinthians 2:5)

A Bible verse special for Ivan: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

Karina

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