(Not) Seeing and Believing: A 10- Day Audio Reading Plan

(Not) Seeing and Believing http://bible.com/r/7hM

**A clip from Tyler Perry’s House of Payne**

(Not) Seeing and believing takes me right to Hebrews 11:1. Faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It is sometimes hard to believe for something when we cannot see anything happening. We lose hope and we become discouraged along the way while we are waiting. One thing we can be sure of is this, if God said it, it will come to pass. This reminds me of those who had faith and believed but did not get to see the promise come to pass, but they died in faith.

Let’s look at Noah- By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7 NKJV)

Noah: Genesis 6:14, 22) : This is what God told Noah (v.14.)- Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

God is giving Noah directions as to how He wants things done. Noah followed God’s orders to the letter. He did not do it how he wanted to do it, but just exactly how God said to do it.

Do we always do things to the letter concerning the Word of God? Do we always do what God tells us to do when He tells us to do something that we don’t understand, or make since to us?

Maybe at the time when God told Noah to build the ark, he did not understand at first, but He obeyed God and did not question God about the matter. Are we like that? Do we do what we are told without asking why? Do we believe God by faith? Why is it so hard to obey God? He does not ask us to do things that He knows we cannot do. Even when we don’t understand the plan, or the purpose, we must still obey God.

(v. 22.)- Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

So, Noah did what God told him to do. He did not ask God a lot of questions as we do when God tells us to do something. He believed what God said.

When we do what God says for us to do, our lives will be better for us. He knows what is best for us. He knows how to protect us from the things that we do not know how to protect ourselves from. He can see the things that we cannot see, such as the flood. If everyone knew that God was going to flood the earth, I am quite sure they would have wanted to help Noah build the ark just to save themselves and their families..

This is why we must believe without seeing. Having eyes of faith and belief in what God says, one can never go wrong. Faith gives one hope that they may not have had.

Reading and studying about faith helps to keep my faith in God strong. It helps me to always remember that God is always working things out for my good. It helps me to remember that God is faithful when the enemy tries to make me believe that God is not faithful. It helps me to remember what God has brought me through in my life. It helps me to remember that He is always with me every day of my life.

What are you believing God for today? Is it something you have been wanting, or needing? Is it healing that you need? Whatever it is you are believing God for today, believe in faith, trust God, and He will bring it to pass. He will answer your every prayer.

This is a collaboration on the article and show I did on faith. The devotional study above is a 10 day audio Bible Study that can be found on You Version.

WORD STUDY: Romans 1:7

Romans 1:7- To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be *saints: Grace to you and *peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:7 THE SAINTS of GOD

“Saints” is the word that God uses for those who have taken Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It means set – apart ones (Numbers 6:2). In Greek it is the same word as “holy”, “consecrated”, or “sanctified”. It has nothing to do with a person’s own efforts at godliness. Saints are not special Christians addressed as “Saint” who are adored and appear in pictures, stained – glass windows, and altars. Rather, for His own purpose, God has set apart for Himself (Romans 8:29 and its note, “Predestination”) all who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Saviour. He calls them saints, though they are in themselves no better than other people. Other names for saints are Christians, children of God, the church of Christ, born – again believers. (Numbers 6:2)– Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, separate themselves to vow a vow of a *Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:

NUMBERS 6:2 A NAZARITE

The word must clearly to be distinguished from a Nazarene (an inhabitant of Nazareth). It can also be spelled “Nazirite” and means one who is separated.

Sometimes people wanted to give themselves to work for the Lord in a very special way. They might have decided that they wanted to do this special work for one or two months, or for one or two years, or even longer. To show that they had taken this vow of the Nazarite, they promised also to keep certain signs:

1. They would drink no wine.

2. They would let their hair grow long (men and women both took this vow).

3. They would not touch anything that was dead.

What corresponds to this in the New Testament is that we are urged to present our bodies to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1); and the Nazarite’s three signs correspond to self-control, willingness to bear reproach for Christ’s sake, and separation from sin. Well- known Nazarites were Samson (Judges 13-16) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15).

ROMANS 8:29- For whom he did foreknow, he also did *predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

ROMANS 1:16-17 – SALVATION by FAITH

Salvation is in three tenses: past- every believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Romans 3:19); present- every believer is being saved daily from the power of sin in his life (Romans 6:14); future – every believer will be saved from even the presence of sin in his nature, so that in heaven he will be without sin and become more like the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:11).

In bestowing salvation on us, God uses the way of faith instead of the way of works. He offers His righteousness only to those who believe (Romans 3:22). Faith, in the cases of salvation and righteousness, is distrusting self and trusting another- in this case, true before we see that it is.

So, we see faith throughout the whole Bible. We can go to the Word for faith, hope, truth, and salvation. Everything we need to know about life is in the Word of God. Open the Word up today and let it fill your spirit. Let it open your eyes today that you will be able to see the truth about life.

This has been very interesting. I was sharing a Bible reading audio plan when God spoke to my spirit again on faith, so, here is the message.