How Faith Works

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

I hope this short devotion will help you live your faith in a practical way.  I think that faith is perhaps the most important thing we can understand in our walk with the Lord.  Hebrews 11:6 says that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  To come to God, we know that we need faith.  But how does faith work?  I’d like to offer you a simple approach to faith that I think is workable in your everyday life.

To illustrate, let’s look at the first few verses of the Bible: 

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.  Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:1-3)

When God looked at the earth, it was formless, void and dark.  But God had a plan for earth.  He saw what earth would be.  He saw a beautiful place, full of plants, trees, flowers, animals, good food, and wonderful people.  “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) 

Likewise, when God looks at us, He sees our purpose.  He sees our potential.  Even when we were lost and broken and in sin, God saw what we could be in Christ. 

Faith sees.  How does faith see?  Faith sees by spending time with God.  When we spend time in His presence, we receive His Word, and His word brings forth fruit in our lives.  When God spoke, “Let there be light, there was light.”  In order to walk in faith, we have to spend time in His presence and then speak what He has spoken.  To see God’s purpose fulfilled we have to speak it.  Romans 10:8-10 says,

“‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”   

The next step of faith is obedience.  When we spend time with God and in His Word, we have to walk out in obedience what He is speaking to us.  Finally, faith requires persistence.  Hebrews 6:11-12 says,

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (emphasis mine).    

In creation, the Father willed, the Son (the Word) spoke, and the Spirit acted.  Likewise, in our lives, as we spend time with the Father, declare His word, and put it into action, we can see great changes.  Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)  The changes we may be seeking in our lives probably won’t happen overnight.  We need to abide in His Word and persist in it.      

If you are struggling with a problem in your life, or long to see a promise God has given you fulfilled, I encourage you to put these steps into practice.  Get back in God’s presence.  Then, begin to meditate and speak His Word over your life.  Persist in consistently speaking His Word.  If He gives you a specific instruction, obey Him.  It’s easy to spend our time worrying, complaining, venting frustration over the difficulties of life.  But rather than looking at the mountains in our lives, let’s get our eyes on the mountain-mover.  That's how faith works!

“Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Mark 11:22-23