As I previously mentioned, I have gone through a few seasons of having my faith tested. A while back, during a time of testing, God gave me the understanding that faith really touches His heart. He used the story in the bible of the woman with the 12 year blood flow to teach me this.
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
Luke 8:43-48 NKJV
There is a part in this story when Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” God gave me the understanding that the hidden meaning behind these words spoken by Jesus is that faith touches His heart. We know that the woman had faith to be healed because it says in Mark 5:28 “For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Just as this woman moved in faith because she believed that she would be healed, we too can touch Jesus’ heart with our faith. We then act on this faith by being obedient to what He has commanded us, knowing that our faith will be rewarded.
Step 5:
Faith must act
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22 NKJV
Once we have confessed our faith in God and in His eternal word, the next step is to follow through in action. The Word of God is alive and powerful, transforming our lives when we act in obedience to what it says. The Lord will also teach us how to be led by His Holy Spirit so that we can move forward in faith, with God, becoming doers of the word. Faith must be accompanied by works because Scripture tells us that faith without works is dead:
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.
James 2:14-17 NKJV
Scripture also tells us that by works, our faith is made perfect or complete. That is why we have to not only have faith, but action the faith God has given us.
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect (or complete)? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
James 2:21-24 NKJV
God will be gentle with us, taking us from one step to the next. As we move in obedience to His instructions, He will take us further in our journey with Him. In my journey with God, my faith had to be built up. As God led me to obey one part of His Word, He gave me the faith I needed to move in that area. Once I had moved in obedience – by faith, He then took me to the next step, which in my case required even more faith than the previous step. He built my faith in the first step, so that I knew He would be faithful to give me the faith I needed for the next step. We can rest in knowing that God will do His perfect work in us, and we can respond in obedience by putting our faith into action (works).
In closing, I’d like to encourage you to take a step of faith in whatever area God is showing you. He will not fail you. If you know God has been guiding you to do something, just know that He will be with you in that, and He will help you.
Until next time, blessings in Jesus’ name.