15 Take That Step Of Faith Today!

Copyright © 2018 Michael A. Brown

      Some of you reading this today need to take a step of faith.  You find yourself before a situation and you know that humanly speaking it is impossible for you to deal with it.  Your mind is afraid, your heart trembles and you are wavering in unbelief.  Your eye sees only the impossibility or the size of the problem.  But at the same time you are praying and seeking God, and in your spirit you know what you should do.  The Holy Spirit is encouraging you through the promises of the word of God, and he is whispering quietly to you that you need to trust him, to hold his hand and to go forward in faith.

      So don’t look only at the size of the problem!  Don’t see only how difficult the obstacles are!  Don’t keep asking yourself, “What if…”  Yes, it may seem impossible, but our God is bigger – much bigger! – than the problems and obstacles before you, and he can do what for you seems impossible.  With our God all things are possible!  Fear, worry and anxiety will paralyze you and will cause you to stay where you are and as you are, but taking a deep breath, trusting God and taking a step of faith will set you free and allow him to work for you.

      There is only one way to go forward in God and his work, and that is by faith!  As you take that step of faith and go forward holding God’s hand, it will give him opportunity to act on your behalf.  You will have the thrill, excitement and joy of seeing him working!

      Hebrews chapter 11 contains a long record of the exploits that many of God’s people in the OT did.  Many names are mentioned – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samuel, David and the prophets, and so on.  There are many of them, not just a few.  Many individual men (and women) who followed God in their generation and acted in faith, and saw him work.  Many people who understood this principle of faith in action, and they are all commended for their faith (11:2).  They are examples to us of what God can do.  The message in this chapter is simple – God looks for faith in his people; he wants believers to become men and women of faith; he is pleased when he finds such people, he honours their faith and he acts on their behalf; he wants to raise up a testimony through them and show the world what a faithful and powerful God he is for anyone who will believe.

      If people in the Bible narratives had not acted and gone forward in faith, then God could not have worked for them.  Taking steps of faith is necessary to see him work.  If Noah had not acted in faith, he and his whole family would have drowned like everyone else.  Without faith, Abraham and Sarah would have remained childless.  The Israelites would have remained trapped on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, and would have been slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army.  Samson would never have exercised his great strength.  If David had not believed God and acted by faith, Goliath would have continued standing there taunting Saul’s army.  The Shunammite’s son would have remained dead.  Naaman would have remained sick.  The Roman centurion’s servant would have died.  Bartimaeus would have stayed blind and would still be begging on the street.  Peter would have remained in the boat and never walked on water.  Paul and Barnabas would never have gone out as missionary apostles.  They would not have evangelised the Gentiles and new congregations of believers would never have come into being.  And so on…  These people would all have remained where they were, done nothing and simply stayed as they were.  You have to take steps of faith in order for God to act!  If you do not take that step of faith, you too will stay where you are and nothing will change in your situation.

      Abraham did not deny the fact that his physical body was very old and that his wife Sarah was past the normal age of child-bearing.  He could see the obstacles and he was well aware of them.  He knew that it was impossible for God’s word to be fulfilled naturally speaking.  Yet he kept his eyes fixed on the promise of God and battled with the unbelief in his heart.  He did not waver or decide against the promise of God and give up.  No, the narrative says that he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God.  He overcame unbelief, he believed God, he acted in faith, and as a couple they saw the promise of God being fulfilled in their lives (Romans 4:17-21).

      When you go forward by faith, God will act for you, and you will see in a much greater way than you do now just how big he is, how faithful he is, how strong he is, and how willing he is to act on behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to him.  He wants his work in your life and your church to grow and prosper.  So don’t be afraid and don’t waver in unbelief!  Don’t be double-minded!  Overcome the doubts, fear and anxiety you may have within by fixing your mind and heart on the promises of God’s word.  Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith, rise up, act in faith and take that step!  And God will work on your behalf!