30 Day Course on Faith - Day 24

Faith in God

We have been talking about faith in general, and today I want to specifically talk about Faith in God. The faith that leads to salvation must be centered in Jesus Christ.  If man did not believe God to be so great, then doubt would replace faith and we would be constantly doubting our salvation.  To have this kind of faith in Jesus Christ these three things are necessary:

1. An assurance that He exists

When man was created he stood in the presence of God and had perfect knowledge of his existence.

          "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool

          of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the

          Lord amongst the trees of the garden." ~Genesis 3:8

2. A correct idea of His character

Here are some Bible verses that teach us about God's character:

          Exodus 34:6 - God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth

          Psalm 103:8 - God is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy

          Numbers 23:19 - God of truth and cannot lie

          1 John 4:8 - God is love

          Acts 10:34 - God is no respecter of persons

          "If we believe that God knows all things, is loving, and is merciful, we will be

          able to put our trust in Him for our salvation without wavering. Faith in Christ

          will change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with

          God's will."  ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

3. A knowledge that you are striving to do His will 

We need to know that the course which we pursue is according to His mind and will.

          "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" ~Paul, Acts 9:6

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is: “God can’t steer a parked car!”  The best way to know we are pursuing the course God wants us to, is to just start pursuing!  If the intentions of your heart are to do God’s will, then God can -- and will -- correct you if you are on the wrong course.  

A remarkable example of this is Saul in the New Testament.  Saul's reputation as a persecutor of Christians was so great that many of the Christians fled Jerusalem in the hope of escaping his anger. On his way to Damascus, to persecute the Christians there, a bright light shone about him and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"

Saul asked, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." 

And Saul, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"  The Lord answered him, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

Throughout his life, Saul showed complete dedication to his convictions; he was just on the wrong path. And Saul the feared persecutor become Paul the fearless proselytizer and defender of the truth.  

Like Saul/Paul, we need to ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" and then follow the inspiration we receive.  Our course correction won't be nearly as dramatic as Saul's, but it will strengthen our faith just as surely as his experience strengthened his.

Daily Challenge: Every day for 30 days in a row, 

I want you to say the following out loud at least 10 times each day!!!  

Be sure to say it cheerfully and enthusiastically!  

This scripture is found in Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” 

You've now completed this challenge 24 days in a row!
Be sure to congratulate yourself for a job well done!