Many times, we go through unexpected situations in our lives: something that we were not expecting or something that could make us sad and downcast. It could be health related or maybe a lost family member. Sometimes, it might be a loss of employment or any number of other situations that can shake us. How should we react? How should we behave? What kind of faith is going to carry us over? Will it be too little faith? Will it knock us down when greater faith is expected?
There was a man who had everything: a good life, wife, children, and plenty of earthy possessions. One day, however, the unexpected happened and all was lost except for his wife. He had to hold on to his faith in a traumatizing life situation. What did he do? Did he get an increase of faith to carry him through?
Faith is trusting in God. His increase was suffering.
There was a woman who was praying day and night for a child but the more she prayed, the more impossible it seemed like she was going to conceived. How did she handle her faith? Did she get an increase of faith?
Faith is perseverance. Her increase was humiliation.
There was a man who was covered with leprosy. He unexpectedly saw someone who had great power to heal. He was in an unfortunate situation, but this unexpected situation changed his life. What drew his faith out of him? Did he get an increase in his faith?
Faith is knowledge. His increase was rejection.
There was a woman who was told by a man of God that she will have a baby boy and to keep him from uncleaned foods and alcohol. She immediately wanted to know how to follow his instructions. What made her believe? Did she get an increase in her faith?
Faith is taking God at His word. Her increase was hope.
There was a man who was very short and was hated by many because he was a tax collector. He heard in the crowd of a great man of God passing by and he did not want to miss an opportunity with this great man of God so he climbed a tree to be able to see him. Then something unexpected happen. This great man wanted to dine with him. The great man of God said to him, “’Zakkai! Hurry! Come down, because I have to stay at your house today!’” (Luke 19:5 CJB). Zakkai climbed down as fast as he could. What made him believe? Did he get an increase in his faith?
Faith is confidence. His increase was repentance.
To have faith, we must trust and believe that God exists. Listen to his recommendation of ways to leave our lives and do it. We must recognize that any amount of faith can move a mountain.
It is not our faith but the power of the One you have given your trust to which is Yeshua.
Luke 17:5 “5 The apostles said to the Lord, “’Increase our faith!’” CJB
Luke 17:6 “6 He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.’” CJB
Things That Will Help You with Your Faith
Read and Study the Word of God.
Romans 3:17 “17 So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.” CJB
Get to Know God.
Romans 1:2-6 “2 God promised this Good News in advance through his prophets in the Tanakh. 3 It concerns his Son — he is descended from David physically; 4 he was powerfully demonstrated to be Son of God spiritually, set apart by his having been resurrected from the dead; he is Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and were given the work of being an emissary on his behalf promoting trust-grounded obedience among all the Gentiles, 6 including you, who have been called by Yeshua the Messiah.” CJB
Pray, Spend Time with God and Listen.
Mark 1:35-39 “35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Yeshua got up, left, went away to a lonely spot and stayed there praying. 36 But Shim‘on and those with him went after him; 37 and when they found him, they said, “Everybody is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let’s go somewhere else — to the other villages around here. I have to proclaim the message there too — in fact this is why I came out.” 39 So he traveled all through the Galil, preaching in their synagogues and expelling demons.” CJB
Seek Him.
Jeremiah 29:13-14 “13 When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly; 14 and I will let you find me,’ says Adonai.” CJB
Believe in the Power of the Word of God.
Luke 7:7 “7 this is why I didn’t presume to approach you myself. Instead, just give a command and let my servant recover.” CJB
Recognizing the Authority of God.
Luke 7:8 “8 For I too am a man set under authority. I have soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” CJB
Mobilize the Power of God’s Word Through Action.
Hebrews 11:30 “30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.” CJB
Don’t Have Doubt and Discouragement.
John 7:18-22 “18 Yochanan’s talmidim informed him of all these things. Then Yochanan called two of his talmidim 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come? Or should we look for someone else?’ 20 When the men came to him, they said, ‘Yochanan the Immerser has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come? Or should we keep looking — for someone else?”’ 21 Right then he was healing many people of diseases, pains and evil spirits, and giving sight to many who were blind. 22 So he answered them by saying, ‘Go, tell Yochanan what you have been seeing and hearing: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara‘at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, the Good News is being told to the poor’” CJB
Know That It Is Not Your Faith but God’s Power and Word.
Luke 7:11-17 “11 The next day Yeshua, accompanied by his talmidim and a large crowd, went to a town called Na‘im. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out for burial. His mother was a widow, this had been her only son, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said to her, ‘Don’t cry.’ 14 Then he came close and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers halted. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you: get up!’ 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Yeshua gave him to his mother.[a] 16 They were all filled with awe and gave glory to God, saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ and, ‘God has come to help his people.’ 17 This report about him spread throughout all Y’hudah and the surrounding countryside.” CJB
Follow His Commandments. Don’t complain. Believe in What He Has Done in the Past.
Luke 7:35 “35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” NLT
Know That God Is Our Salvation. He Is Always Right in All Things and He Has a Plan for You.
Luke 7:29-30 “29 All the people who heard him, even the tax-collectors, by undergoing Yochanan’s immersion acknowledged that God was right; 30 but the P’rushim and the Torah-teachers, by not letting themselves be immersed by him, nullified for themselves God’s plan.” CJB
Be Obedient.
The disciples obeyed Yeshua when he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Ruach.
Acts 2:1 “1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place.” CJB
The children of Israel were instructed to do certain things in the desert. They followed the instructions and these instructions kept them organized and safe. We can be organized and saved when unexpected things happen to us. We can be calm and collected when situations that are not pleasant come to us. We can be assured that we have a clan and a banner we belong to. We have a leader that we can come close to and who will never abandon us, a leader that is always there to pull us up and is always true. When unexpected situations come into our lives, we know who we can trust.
2 Corinthians 4:7-12 “7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. 8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. 10 We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. 11 For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. 12 Thus death is at work in us but life in you.” CJB
Know How to Camp Close to the Bible.
- Set a time for it.
- Pick a book.
- Read it constantly every day.
- Look forward to the next chapter.
- Think about how it applies to your life.
- Get into the story lesson.
- Make notes.
- Research something that stood apart for you.
- Go to a bible class. Read with others or find a friend.
- Find a movie about it and compare.
- Make yourself do it.
- Read it with expectations.
- Be realistic. There are tribulations in this world.
- Read as a family.
- Think about how much God loves you.
- Pray to God to give you the desire.
- Think to yourself, “If I have time for everything else, then I have time for God.”
- Make it your spiritual exercise.
- If you don’t do it on a given day, God still loves you.
- Have fun!
May the Lord bless you.
