Faith By Nature Assumes A Future

This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Running with Horses, a podcast devoted to inspire you, concerning a relationship with Almighty God that empowers you to accomplish things you never thought possible.

Shirley Weaver wants to take you there. And now, here's today's episode. Hello everyone and welcome.

So glad you are here. Don't know where you are in the things that are going on around you, the determination that you have to live by faith, the onslaught that can occur, especially in this season, this holiday season, but also in the ebb and flow of the way nations and economies and just daily life seems to play out, the way things transpire and affect us directly. Today, our topic title, faith by nature, assumes a future.

Faith by nature assumes a future. So there's great encouragement here, because everything that we experience as believers as a born-again believer, we know we've been trained, we've learned from God's Word to walk by faith, but everything that we experience tests the grit that we have in our determination to believe God in large and small things. And sometimes those things all but bury you since Satan's plan is just that, to bury you. But even in that mix, just when you're right at the breaking point, God's love comes through, sometimes through the agency of a person. It might be something that transpires to relieve the pressure, either short or long term, but I love 1 Corinthians 13 right here.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, because love never fails. I think that's the crux of the answer, not to embellish the whole issue of faith, because it's based in the love of God. As His love comes into our heart, it converts. You know, there's a conversion process where if you change, if you go to the bank and you take pennies, nickels, dimes, convert those into paper dollars, fives, twenties, whatever, that's what I mean by conversion.

We convert love that's flowing into our heart from the Spirit of God into faith to believe Him no matter what. Because you see, by nature, faith by nature assumes a future. Right now it looks like your future has been cut off. It's limited. You're being restricted. Don't believe that.

That's not true. Against all odds, your faith, because of this love, will prevail. I mean, that's a promise. I can guarantee you, stay in the love of God, remain in His Word regularly, obviously daily, and this is a guarantee that the future God has for you, you will see the realization of that future. God's love breaks through. He just does. His love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. His love never fails. He is the lover of your soul. And Psalm 23, He restores your soul.

So it's all a package. When you get the Lord, you get His love, you get this restoration process. However, so much is dependent on the way that we see, the way that we understand how all that works. Something from Oswald Chambers fits right here. If there is only one strand of faith among all the corruption that is inside of me, God will take hold of that one strand.

Now those are great odds right there. That's why I say no matter what, against all odds, if there's just one strand of faith in me, and everything else is not so hot, God will take hold of that one strand. He's doing that for you right now. So you be encouraged. All things are possible.

That is not a cliche. That is not just worn out religious words that we interject at a time of desperation. Mark 9 23 is clear. Jesus is speaking, and He put it this way, if you can believe, all things are possible to you, because you believe. I love the way our friend, our pastor friend, Rick Renner breaks this verse down from the Greek, that all things in the Greek is the word, the Greek word, panta, excuse my pronunciation, that might not be correct, but it's an all inclusive word that throws off all limitations and blows the door open for anything to happen to and for a person who believes on their behalf in a favorable way.

The word possible in the Greek is the Greek word dunada, which is a form of the word dunamis, which we know pretty well. It's an often used word that we love to refer to, it carries the idea of power, strength, ability, the word is used to depict the strength of an entire army. Think of it that way, the word possible, think of it as an explosion, like a stick of dynamite, like an army, you know, the cavalry coming over the hill kind of thing. So when a person believes, it opens the door for power, strength and ability to work. And that power is so mighty.

It is like the full force of an entire army that is moved to operate on your behalf. That's what happens when you believe. It is simple. But let's face it, it's not the way the world works. So you'll have to conform to this word, to this process and to the way that God sees it, does it and not to the world's way.

Because you know, let's face it, that is an uphill climb right there. So to the one who believes in Greek, the tense here is not past, it's a present tense. All things are possible to the one who believes and continues believing.

So it's based right now. It's why one enemy strategy is to wear down over time, your faith, your resolve, your resistance, your determination, your hope, your commitment, your diligence in the word, and your understanding that God loves you so much. He is doing this no matter what it appears to be on the surface. So if you can see what I'm saying here, God is working as you believe and continue to believe the enemy, his name is Satan, is working to wear you down because of the length of the struggle of the battle. And let's face it, sometimes things happen briefly.

They don't occur over a long period of time, maybe a day, you know, a week, maybe a semester in school. But in life, you arrive at those times where days, weeks, months, years go by where you're investing your faith, and you see absolutely nothing positive happening. I've been there. I know what that feels like, know what it looks like.

I know firsthand that it will wear you down if you let it, if you let it. However, when I decide to remain in a position, mindset, literally a worldview of faith, Bible faith, Jesus says, Mark 9, that absolutely all things are possible. Anything can happen for in exchange for my believing anything and everything is possible. So faith by nature assumes the future. All that we experience as we walk by faith is testing us sometimes, you know, right down to your core. And it takes something unusual in the world sense or in the worldly sense to believe God in the face of all that. We have to force our flesh to do a couple of things. First of all, refuse unbelief, refuse to disbelieve.

That's something right there. Because don't forget, love, the love that comes from God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures, underline endures all things, because God's love never fails. You know, that love builds faith in my heart that assumes a future. And while you are assuming a future, assume a bright one. It's hard sometimes, but assume a bright future, no matter what.

Don't forget this, this is really important. No matter what, against all odds, fill up your future with faith. You can do it.

You can do it. And let me say again, I understand, I think we all understand that this world is serving up right now situations and boundaries that are coming in on us to squeeze out of us, force us to yield over confidence in God. It is. There's no doubt. So we do not have our head in the sand. We're not in denial. We're not living in la-la land. In fact, it takes great courage and mature strength to stand at a time like this.

But because we have a community around us, maybe your only community is this podcast. That's good. That'll do it. A voice around you saying yes, stay in the faith, continue believing, don't give up. God's love never fails.

You see what I'm saying? And if you have more of a community, press into that community. Draw from those who are more mature in the things of the faith. Don't sit there. Don't sit there grumbling. Woe is me.

Maybe feeling sorry for yourself, because those are inclinations we all have. Don't be ashamed. I've been there.

I don't know anyone who hasn't been there. But don't stay there. Call someone. Pick up a telephone. Your, I think they're called cell phones now.

Actually it's a handheld computer with a cell app. Right? There you go. Don't just sit there. You got to reach out. You know, there's even a place in the word that says if any are sick among you, call for the elders. So in this sense, if you're sick in heart, sick in losing hope or you are discouraged like that level of feeling less than, you got to reach out. Don't stay there.

Don't do that. The enemy wants to isolate you and wear you down until you finally give up. That's the plan of the enemy.

God's plan is to release his love. It never fails. It will never give up. It will never cave in, never go away, never relent.

The love that is in God's heart to put faith in your heart and also by osmosis, the love of God that is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit to display to others that family you're living with, you know, your mate, your children, your grandchildren. Listen, it's all consuming. See, it's a package deal and it begins with, it begins with you pulling yourself up right now. Don't give up. Don't give up. God's plan prevails because his plan is love. He loves you very much.

He loves you more than you can ever imagine. So let's do this. Thanks again and we'll see you next time. God bless. God bless.