Principles of trusting God – #01 FAITH IN GOD
Our first response to God’s love is having faith in God. In Mark 11:22 Jesus said, “Have faith in God”. Having faith in God is the principle of responding to God. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told that “without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”.
Faith in God is the first principle of trusting God. It is the principle which the Bible says, “without it (faith) it is impossible to please Him (God)”. It is a principle to which Christ few times made a remark.
[Luke 8:48] And he (Jesus) said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace”. This was the story of a woman with an issue of blood. She had suffered from the disease of issuing blood continuously for 12 years and she had tried all physicians to no avail. But when she saw Jesus Christ, she had faith that her day had finally come for her to receive her healing. She never told anyone of her intentions. In her heart she said, if only I can touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole. It was that faith that pulled virtue from Christ. And Christ had to commend her for her great faith. The woman understood the principle of responding to God in difficult circumstances.
A man named Jairus who was the ruler of the synagogue had faith in Jesus and he came to Him begging Him to come to his house because his daughter was dying of illness. On his way back home with Jesus, Jairus received another news that the daughter was dead, and it was pointless to bring along Jesus Christ to his home. I like the response of Jesus to Jairus. [Luke 8:50] But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well”. Jairus continued to believe and went with Jesus and the dead daughter was raised back to life. It pays to trust in God. It is a principle of responding to God.
A certain centurion had a servant who was completely paralysed, and he believed in Jesus Christ. He came asked Jesus to just speak a word of healing to his servant and he believed his servant would be healed. He believed Christ that He was a man of authority. He had authority to command whatever He wanted, and it would be done. At such a faith, Christ was stunned and commented on the man’s faith. Matthew 8:10-13, “When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment”. It pays to trust God.
A certain blind man named Bartimaeus, when he heard that Jesus was passing by; he believed that his day of healing had come. He started to call for Jesus’ attention but those around him discouraged him. But Christ heard a voice of faith and he stopped and called him to come. The man received his sight because he trusted in Christ, and he could not let him pass by. [Mark 10:52] And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
The last example I can give was of a Syrophoenician woman who had a daughter who was being tormented by demons. She believed that Jesus had power to deliver her daughter and set her free. When she made her request to Christ, Christ tested her faith by his unwillingness to go and help her because she was not a Jew. However, the woman insisted that she should find mercy and that touched on the heart of Christ as a man of compassion. Christ had to comment on the woman’s faith. [Matthew 15:28] Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
In a nutshell, FAITH is our biblical response to trusting in God. It pays to trust God.
Our next principle is #02 LOVING GOD.
#02 LOVING GOD
#04 OBEYING GOD
#05 BEING FAITHFUL
