I was in prayer the other day calling out to God for help in my time of need. I had just received 3 units of blood at the hospital the day before for my leukemia, but I was very ill. I am usually feeling much better the next day. So, I was appealing to my Savior for a touch of relief.
It was at this time I felt God asking me a question: How far do you believe? I don’t ever recall examining the length of my faith. I have always just thought that I have faith and I never considered measuring it.
I know that God’s basic requirement is that we believe in His word, in His Son and in our Lord's sacrifice on the cross for us. I also know that from time to time throughout my life I have had to call out to God and believe by faith that He would answer me and come to me and take care of my need.
This was the first time I was really taking an inner look at my faith as a gauge or sum. I thought about this for a minute and asked, Is there a limit to my faith? I know we all have limits and it changes from one moment to the next. It usually runs according to what is going on in our life and how far we are willing to release our human spirit and receive His spirit complete and whole.
It is not that God is measuring us from day to day. His grace is sufficient all the time. It is what I believe that He intends for us to pursue. Why do we sometimes stop short of 100% belief that He is going to come and intercede by His will. What is amazing is that this happens in our mind or heart even when everything is on the line.
Our humanity sometimes steps in or takes over at some point short of 100% and we give in. What is most remarkable is that we seem to always tell ourselves that we have given it all or completely to Him, but we really have fallen short sometimes.
Ever wonder whether your life and walk with God would be different if your faith was stronger or closer to 100%, even if it changed a little? When we are facing a crisis in our life that we have no control over and we see no way out but through our Savior, I believe that our faith is tested within our own spirit, to us.
We have the opportunity to move our needle of faith forward and to have a closer intimate walk and interceding grace with God. This is a time we cherish for our entire life and it becomes a part of who we are through Him.
It doesn’t seem to be as great a movement when times are good or even when something great happens. There is great joy in these times of praise, but do we call to Him from our knees and cry out with a loud voice when our faith is tested in the valley? You see, once God has come to our aid and answered our call, we know we have 100% faith, because it has arrived, it’s present.
It is by faith that we are able to survive one more day and hope for tomorrow. It is by faith that each breath of the air we breathe is there for us to receive. It is by faith that we live to take another step and to speak another word to someone that is in need of that word. It is by faith that we believe in our Savior and we know He believes in us. How far do we believe?
My desire is to increase my faith for I know that it provides a greater presence and walk with our savior. I know whatever my faith measures today, He will still hear me and answer when I call. It is my prayer to move my human spirit closer to His Holy Spirit that lives inside me.
In sickness and in health, in good times and bad, hold up your shield of faith and ask yourself,
How far do you believe?
1 Corinthians 2:4-5
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Psalms 91:1-2
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "[He is] my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
How important are the words "believe and faith"?
Believe is mentioned 143 times
Faith is mentioned 247 times in the Bible
