May 4, 2022

Have you ever struggled to keep the faith? Have you ever felt the tug of war between the natural circumstances you see with your eyes and the faith you feel inside your heart? Have you ever wanted to cry out the words of Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” All too often, it seems that unbelief tries to cast a gloomy shadow over the miraculous things that God wants to do in us and through us. But take heart, friend, because God has given us all the measure of faith (Romans 12:3, KJV), and we can believe!

In Luke 5, the disciples came to Jesus and asked that He increase their faith. Jesus responded that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move a mountain. In essence, Jesus didn’t need to increase their faith, but they needed to exercise the faith that they already had inside of them. But how do we tap into the faith we already have? Faith is dependent mainly on who’s voice to which we are listening. Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” When we listen to what God is saying, our faith is stirred up to believe and allow God to do all that He has purposed.

Unbelief is the opposite of faith and is defined as “faithless, unbeliever, and weakness of faith.” So, if faith comes by hearing, then unbelief also comes by hearing. Unbelief will always challenge the Word of God and creeps into our hearts when we listen to other voices other than the Holy Spirit. This is why we must “crucify our flesh” daily, or in other words, deny the passions and desires we felt before we were saved. When we allow our senses to become our voice of reason instead of the Holy Spirit, we will continuously operate in unbelief and never fully grasp all God has for us. But when we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and we act in faith, the possibilities are endless!

Acting in faith requires risk. In Matthew 14, we find the famous story of Peter walking on water. He believed that it was the Lord calling to Him from the sea, and he took a risk, climbed over the side of the boat, and walked on the water. Mark 5 reminds us of the story of the woman with the issue of blood that touched Jesus’ robe. Although the doctors could not help her and she had spent all she had, she believed Jesus could heal her and pressed through the crowd. She risked being trampled and humiliated but acted in faith and received her healing. 

In John 14:12, we read the familiar words of Jesus when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father.” Jesus tells us that if we believe in Him, we will do the same miraculous works He did and even more, but remember, we must believe! Although at times, we may waver because we are humans, all we must do is cry out like the man in Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” and God promises to be an ever-present help (Psalm 46:1). 

Join us Sundays at 3 pm online or in person at Regeneration Nashville as we unite in faith together and see God do the miraculous! Until then, may God bless you, keep you, and make His face shine upon you. Be Regenerated! 

Your friend in Christ, 
Pastor Jasmine