"But 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." (Hebrews 11:6; NKJV)
It has been well said that faith is the currency of heaven. According to The Message version of Hebrews 11:6, "It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him."
While we are not saved from the penalty of our sins by works but by the grace of God through faith, faith is an act which can be seen; faith without works is dead.
A short while after Jesus had risen from the dead, he came alongside two believers who were walking to the village of Emmaus which was about seven miles from Jerusalem but they did not recognize him. Jesus joined in their discussion concerning Himself beginning with Moses (the law) and all the prophets.
"Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke
it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight."
The two believers were enthralled by Jesus' exposition of the Scripture so much so that they were hungry for more and constrained Him. In so doing they called forth God's favour and received a revelation of the risen Christ.
One time Jesus' disciples were in a boat and He would have passed them by had they not called Him. "Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:48-50; NKJV)
On another occasion, a blind man cried out to Jesus by faith and received his sight. "Then it happened, as He (Jesus) was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”
Allow me to round off with what I have just read recently from Pastor Joel Osteen's book "It's Your Time" (page 125):-
[ "You may need to shift into a higher gear if you are not speaking enough faith over your life. If you have big dreams, you'll need to declare God's favor in a big, big way. Once a week won't cut it. "Oh, God, I hope You'll bless me this week."
No, declare favor every day, all day. Let it flow out of your mouth and under your breath. You should be saying, "Father, I want to thank you that Your favor is surrounding me like a shield. Thank you that Your favor is opening doors no man can shut. Your favor is bringing supernatural opportunities, divine connections, causing me to be at the right place at the right time."
Zechariah 10:1 says: "Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime." Rain in the Scripture represents God's favor. What does "Ask for rain in the springtime" mean?
If it's springtime, the rainy season, it doesn't seem like you'd need to ask for rain. But God is saying, "My favor may be available, but you will not receive it unless you ask." ]
Even as you read this blog now, Jesus awaits for you to ask and call in His favor. What are you waiting for?
