Persistence

I am a great believer in faith, walking and living in your faith. How strong, how deep how wide is your faith? Will it stand when it is tested?

As I look back at my own life, I can see times when my faith has been tested, times when I have tried to do it on my own. I have seen times when I have asked where are you God?

I must admit to you that although I have never lost my faith there are times when it wasn’t as deep, as strong as it should be. Friends how strong is your faith, will it see you through trying times? Will your faith hold up through the storms of life that we all face from time to time?

Look at your life through the eyes of your faith. Ask yourself do, I have a strong enough, bold enough faith to see me through. Is may faith God centered or is it more me centered. God is there, but not in the measure He should be.

There is a passage that is often used to have people think about their offerings that I would like to present with the idea of looking at our faith.

Luke 6: 38

Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return, by the way you believe, express and live your faith will be returned to you. Oh, you of little faith, he has great faith. That one has no faith. With man that is impossible but with God all things possible.

 It takes belief and an absolute trust in God and never letting go that will see us through the storms of life that come our way.

There will be times when things press down on us, shake us but it is those times when a strong faith will bubble over and over flow the cup. Faith is a necessity of life.

Faith that is persistent and holds tough will see us through. You need to “keep the faith”, don’t lose it and allow it to guide you through.

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

We are guided by the Holy Spirit, He shows us the way, He teaches us and when we need it, He will bring to our remembrance all that we have been taught. Are we listening to the Lord, are we open to the leading, guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit?

Are we staying in the Word, do we pray, does God know us?

Friends do we have persistent faith? Do we keep asking, seeking and knocking, or do we leave it after one simple prayer? Are we blaming God for not answering when we aren’t being persistent in our faith?

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Consider what this passage suggests to us. Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. Sometimes God will answer you right away, sometimes you must persist and seek Him out, and at other times we must press on and knock at His door.

All too often we will quit after a simple and sometimes weak prayer. We must press on, we must seek the Lord, and sometimes we must be bold enough to knock.

Consider each of the following passages:

Job 5:8

“But as for me, I would seek God, And I would place my cause before God;

Jeremiah 29:11-14

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

John 16: 23-28

In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
   “These things I have spoken to you in  figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

 Rejoice always;  pray without ceasing;

Place your cause, your heart before God, seek Him out. Search for Him with all your heart, bring your burdens, cares and concerns to Him. Ask in Jesus Name rejoice in Gods presence and pray without ceasing.

Pray, then pray some more and when you done that pray. Talk with God, speak to the Lord, but you must be willing to Listen, you must be willing to allow the Lord to speak to you. Pray, ask, seek, knock don’t give up. The Lord is there, we must wait upon Him and listen for that still small voice.