Lessons on the Journey of Faith: Faith’s Evidences
The Word of God is not bound
2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto Naaman, and said, My Father, if the prophet had bid thee so some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean?
Returning now to our main character, Naaman. His religious beliefs initially stumbled him, preventing him from being saved from his awful disease ( called leprosy). However, the Word of God is neither bound nor limited by religiosity and unbelief. ‘Even if our faith fails, God never fails’.
Naaman’s servant was intuitive however; he had perception. He could look beyond the natural and see what was not obvious. He recognised the God of Israel at work and advised his master. God is no respecter of persons. You dont have to be a believer to recognise the works of God, but in so doing, you will be changed into a believer, if your heart is hungry for truth.
Today, as then, God has witnesses everywhere. Naaman’s wise servant proved to be able to discern wisdom when he heard it. Naaman’s reasoning sounded good; it allowed him to have enough insight into how, if people are willing to do some great thing for God, they may be recognised by God. Yet when it comes to the insignificant action that his faith required to bring about his healing (salvation), he missed it.
Faith requires action. Active faith activates God. You cant go wrong. Faith in God’s Word acts like a magnet, drawing from it God’s own ability, encapsulated within it. Just as fear draws negativity, and no results except more fear, so faith draws God’s Spirit, and the working of the Holy Spirit materialises. Submit to God and resist any accusations.
The Word of God has its own witnesses
In the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word will be established (Matt 18: 16).
The Scripture assure us, that ‘in the mouth of two or three witnesses every Word will be established’ (Matt 18:16). Whenever we go out doing the work of evangelism, sharing with whoever we meet, we can be assured that God will ratify every Word in keeping with the Gospel, that we have spoken, following it up with another one or two witnesses to confirm it to the hearer’s heart. This encourages us to do the work of an evangelist.
Faith Is Obedience To God’s Word
Naaman followed the confirming witness of his servant. The servant encouraged Naaman to forsake his religious pride and obey; he encouraged him to hope ‘hope thou in God’. Do you get it? Do something , do anything. I know that I travelled into many countries without money in my own pocket. I knew to start it happening -I had to do something. I would phone about the cost of the ticket. I would deposit the ticket. I would if I could at that stage, book the ticket. I might inquire into costs and start adding up how much I had to start praying for. Do something.
Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in Jordan according to the saying of the man of God and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child and he was clean (2 Kings 5:14).
Believers are ‘ministers of hope and of reconciliation’. True faith prompts action – obedience; assurance is the outcome of this. The desired action, coupled with faith, will bring healing to the spirit, soul, and body of the inquirer, according to the saying of the man or woman of God.
Faith rests on the Word of God
‘Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then thou shalt have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by they pureness of thine hands’ (Job 22:25-30).
Sarah’s our example of ‘hearing by faith’.
Faith Speaks
The above verses in Job give us assurance that our prayer to God is heard. As priests unto God we can come into the most holy place and pray. As kings we decree and it will be established unto us. As prophets we testify of Jesus. When we are dealing with seekers whatever the need, be it salvation, healing, deliverance, comfort, and strength, we must learn to speak as the oracle of God.
Mary is our example of speaking by faith.
Our biggest need is to listen to the Holy Spirit within, and to give wise counsel out of the Word of God. God will honour our word. We are the ones to speak prophetically saying, ‘there is a lifting up’. We are promised here that God will perform our counsel. Listen to the prophet Isaiah comforting Israel when they were taken into captivity and deep in remorse and grief.
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid (Isa 44:24-28).
Speak, decree new things into people’s lives, bring to them word and deeds of comfort and encouragement. The Lord will confirm what we say and will perform our counsel.
The woman who housed the prophet Elig=jah recognised this: she said ” I perceive you are a prophet”.
Mary said at the wedding in Galilee “what ever he says to you do it”.
Words kill, words give life; thyre either poison or fruit. (Prov 18:21) (The Message. Eugene H Peterson)
To be an effective servant in the work of the Lord, we ourselves have to first come into the assurance of our authority in Jesus name, live the life, activate our faith in God and God’s Word, and have assurance and confidence, not in ourselves, but in God.
THE END