Exuberant Faith

As we begin a new year, I pray our focus is on the most important aspects of life. What comes to your mind first? If your response is God and family, then your priorities are aligned with God.

I hope to dig a little deeper into the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to me further in this coming year. My husband received the words “Exuberant Faith” recently and that is my plan – to develop my faith to the point of exuberance. How is this possible?

Mark 4:20

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it,

 and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

 

Let us not just hear the Word of God, let us study it and accept its truth so that we may bear the fruit of it. Jesus Christ was our example, and He should be the fruit exposed through us. May we not stop striving until we reach a hundred-fold.

We realize faith is enlarged as we see the hand of God revealed in miracles, in signs and wonders. Our faith is enlarged as we walk through the storms of life, seeing and feeling God’s presence beside us, knowing He never leaves us unattended. Our faith is enlarged by reading the Word of God because His Word never returns to Him void. This means that the stories, the promises, every word on those pages get down deep into us, penetrating our very soul, changing us on the inside and revealing truth.

My prayer is that ALL of us receive revelation of the love of Jesus in this coming year. Jesus is what we need! Jesus is who we need! Christ must be revealed to every individual! May we not just have knowledge of Him, but may He be revealed to us and in us, for this is what changes us! This is what changes our circumstances! May we have Exuberant Faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior!

 

If I were to ask you how you see Jesus, I would hear many of these titles mentioned:

The Lord                      Wonderful           Counselor           King

         Mighty God                  Everlasting Father                 Prince of Peace

                 Immanuel

Rod of Jesse                Branch of the Lord                Anointed One

         Shepherd                    Servant of Yahweh                  Elect One

Lamb of God                               Redeemer                           Cornerstone

*All these names are from the book of Isaiah*

As you see, Immanuel is highlighted and for a good purpose. The meaning of Immanuel is God With Us. God is and always will be with us!

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Philippians 2:9-11 – ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is great news and a blessing of encouragement. But for just a moment, I want to remember those that are hurting, ill, and brokenhearted. As a body we must stand in the gap for all of these today. There are some with loved ones in the hospital, others have lost their loved ones and spent their first Christmas without them. Then there are those that have lost hope and find themselves discouraged.

We have all experienced what we believe to be unanswered prayer and if we dwell on this, it leads to discouragement. But Jesus taught us how “Not to give up” in the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8).

Luke 18:1 – Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

Now how do you tell someone not to lose heart that:

• Just lost a valued member of the family?
• That has family in the hospital and feeling defeated from worry and unbelief?

Stand in the gap for them! Pray! Keep hope for them! Do not lose heart! Direct them to Jesus in your discussions. But always pray on their behalf.

In this story of Luke 18, the unjust judge gave in to the widow out of exasperation, her persistence was a nuisance to him. Imagine if we were persistent in using our authority against the devil, let alone being persistent in our prayers to our Heavenly Father.

Be encouraged as you read verses 7-8a – And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

I am reminded that our attitude is just as important as persistence. Keep a positive attitude while waiting on God to answer.  Instead of dwelling on the circumstances, the storms of life, look at what God is doing in the midst of them. Praise Him for walking with you. Praise Him for His promises and stand on them. Praise Him for Jesus making it all possible.

Verse 8b – Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

We are truly living in the day when Jesus could come for His church. There are Christians falling away from their first love. There are those who cannot distinguish between truth and lies, seemingly to be deceived. Now it makes sense why that last verse includes, “Will He really find faith on the earth?”

Presently, many of us may find ourselves in circumstances that require exuberant faith. May we bind together, encouraging one another with hope, forsaking any doubt and unbelief, and proclaim that we will not lose heart!

Choose this day to enlarge your faith! Pray for steadfastness in that faith! Pray for Exuberant Faith!

JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!

JESUS IS OUR ANSWER TO ALL THAT CONCERNS US!

JESUS IS OUR WEAPON AGAINST DISCOURAGEMENT!

JESUS HAS GIVEN US THE REASON FOR EXUBERANT FAITH!

 

 

 

Notes:

1. If you are new to this blog, please understand that I have a ministry in discipleship, so I challenge you and encourage you to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
2. All scripture is taken from NKJV unless otherwise noted.
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