Today, I will teach you one of my greatest secrets to living well. A tool that has guided me countless times. It is a tool you’re guaranteed to already have, but perhaps no one has taught you to use it yet. That changes today!
But first, I must take you to Hebrews chapter 11. A chapter on faith. It starts off in verse 1 with “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The message translation says it like this: “Faith is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.”
What can faith do in your life? What has faith done in the lives of others? The next several verses in Hebrews 11 list people who’s lives were changed by faith. My favorite comes in verse 11. Listen to this: “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.”
Enabled because she considered God faithful to his promises.
Enabled means given power and the ability to do something. Sarah, the 90 year old barren woman unable to have children her entire life, still believed God was able. And because of her faith, God did something miraculous in her life. Because of her faith she was strengthened and empowered.
What will you be enabled to do because you believe God is faithful to his promises? What will you receive because you have an unwavering faith? What will you be strengthened to do that is beyond your own abilities, as a result of your faith in a God who is able?
Your faith is the game changer. God responds to your faith.
As a teenager, my parents would say these 5 magical words which would keep me on the right path. Before I would leave for a date night they would say “we have faith in you.” They didn’t preach at me. They didn’t nag me. They simply told me they had faith in me. Faith in me to make the right choices. Faith in me to do the right thing. Now do you think there was any way I was going to go out and mess that up? Their parenting technique was brilliant! We have faith in you. It drew me in to their plans.
My husband now says the same thing to me before I take a stage. It’s his “go get ’em tiger” pep talk. I have faith in you. He believes I will do great things. He sees something in me I sometimes don’t see in myself. He has faith in me, and it brings out the best in me.
Yesterday I was texting with one of our BIG Life girls, Georgette. She’s on a mission to take back her health and claim all the days offered to her by God. Yesterday was a huge day of temptation as she catered in Thanksgiving lunch for all her employees. Pies … everywhere. Delicious pies. Pies happen to be one of Georgette’s weaknesses. She text me saying she didn’t know if she had the willpower to overcome this temptation. I told her “Georgette, I believe in you.” Sometimes we won’t do the hard things for ourselves, but we’ll do it when someone else believes in us. AND SHE DID!
When someone has faith in you, you’re willing to bring your best for them. And the same is true for God. Your faith in him draws him in and he just can’t resist showing up in your life to work! Sarah was enabled to do the impossible because she had faith that God would do what he said he would do. AND HE DID.
What has God promised you? Really, do you even know? If you haven’t studied his promises to you, then how can you specifically tell God you have faith in him to follow through? Have you ever prayed God’s promises over your life? Oh this is powerful stuff right here. Let me teach you how.
What are you needing in your life right now? Do you need guidance and direction? Do you need provision? Are in need of healing or strength, peace or wisdom? Then do what you would do if you were searching for how to do anything else. I mean what would you do if you needed to know home remedies for an ear infection, or how to get ink off white jeans or gum out of your 5 year olds hair? YOU WOULD GOOGLE IT. The google knows everything. So use this tool for God’s promises and provisions. Did you know the google knows every one of God’s promises and miracles, and within seconds it can give you a list of scriptures which match anything you’re needing in your life? It’s magical!
So, here it is … a secret to living well … google.
If you’re in need of healing, google “scriptures on healing”. The first thing that will pop up is “50 Plus Bible Verses For Healing”. Uhmmmmm, yeah, click on that!
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD” ~ Jeremiah 30:17
Pray those words. Meditate on those words. Memorize them. Write them. Have faith in God that his word applies to you. Receive it as your promise. And remember, healing comes in many different forms. God often works through sickness to impact lives in the most powerful of ways.
Are you in need of strength? Google “scriptures on strength”. Hundreds of scriptures will then be at your fingertips.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
Take that scripture and personalize it in your conversation with God. God, I will not fear because I know you are with me. I am not stressed because you are my God. You will strengthen me and you will help me. You will hold me up with your right hand. I have faith in you God.
God has not changed. Whatever he promised then, he promises today. Whatever he did for them, he can do for you. Do not forget, you are the treasured daughter of the almighty, approach the throne and know you can make your requests. And if he says no, trust it is better than the yes you asked for.
Now, I don’t want to set you up for major disappointment here. God’s answers are not always yes, and you don’t always see the reason for his no. Our human eyes only see the here and now, and sometimes our circumstances are more about the future and eternity. Remember, I’ve prayed for healing and watched them die. I’ve prayed for restoration and seen it only get worse. I’ve prayed for open doors and had them slammed in my face.
And still I believe. Why? Because my God is bigger than any circumstance or current disappointment. His plans are bigger than here and now. When we continue to have faith, even when the answer isn’t what we wished for, I believe we glorify God even more and open the doors for him to work in our lives beyond anything we can imagine. One day God will show me all the reasons he said no and I will praise him with this full knowledge. But today, on this side of heaven, still not seeing the full picture, I can send up the hallelujah for all the things that still don’t make sense. Why? Because I have faith in him.
Scripture tells us we often have not because we ask not. Don’t let that be you. Don’t let your home go unblessed because you didn’t ask for God’s blessings to begin with. Don’t wander around in confusion and frustration because you failed to pray for direction. Know his promises. Claim them as yours. And consider him faithful to his promises. Know what he has done for others and ask him to unleash the same power in your life. Remember you are his chosen daughter.
God, we have faith in you. We believe you can and will do everything you have promised us. I’m counting on you. And when my eyes don’t see the answers I seek here and now, I trust you are working for the future and eternity.
Today, more than ever before, we have easy access to all of God’s promises and works. You don’t have to be a bible scholar to know his promises. The google does it for you! Why wouldn’t you use it? Why is it we consider ourselves more spiritual if we walk around with a 5 pound bible and can immediately flip to specific scriptures? Nahhhhh, girl you’ve got a cell phone in your hand and that cell phone holds every single scripture, every translation, and every study ever done on that scripture. Are you using it?
Sarah was enabled because she considered God faithful to his promises.
What will you be enabled to do because YOU believe God is faithful to his promises? What will you receive because you have an unwavering faith? What will you be strengthened to do that is beyond your own abilities, as a result of your faith?
What is your current struggle? I encourage you today to google scriptures on your struggle. For example, if you’re struggling in your marriage, simply google “scriptures on marriage.” Then, don’t be upset when the first scripture that pops up is Ephesians 4:2 ““Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ahhhh, you didn’t want to be humble, gentle and patient today … you wanted to be right darn it! But what if this is exactly what you need? Not what you want, but what you need.
Your faith is the game changer. God responds to your faith. In order to have faith in God’s promises, you kinda need to know what his promises are. In order to know what God can do, you kinda need to know what he’s done before. Google it.
Whatever you’re needing today, google scriptures that align with your need, then receive God’s guidance and truth. Oh what treasure awaits you in his promises. Now claim them and receive them. Be enabled and strengthened because you believe God is faithful to his promises.