Experiencing God's Presence #136

Have faith in God.

Mark 11:22

Faith is a necessary way of life in the Kingdom of God. We have to have it in order to function the way God wants us to. And we always feel like we need more. But does that mean we try to muster it up by convincing ourselves of what we want to believe?

We can certainly do things to persuade our hearts of truth: dwell on God’s promises, remember His past works, cultivate hope, and so on. But ultimately, faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). We get it from the work of His Spirit within us. When we cultivate His Presence, we develop faith. It comes from Him.

Greek scholars from a variety of theological perspectives suggest that this verse is better translated “have the faith of God.” There are plenty of places in Scripture that speak of believing in God—clearly He’s the object of our faith. But it only makes sense that if the Spirit of Jesus dwells within us, and Jesus lived with the kind of faith we’re supposed to have, then He imparts faith to us. The more His Presence is allowed to move us, the more faith we’ll have.

That’s the way it is with all fruits of the Spirit and godly attributes. We don’t muster them up. He has them, and He dwells in us. We get them by focusing on Him, communing with Him, and yielding to Him. The more we let Him have His way in us, the more we have the character and attributes we need to have. In your quest for greater, deeper, purer faith, ask for God’s. He will give you the spiritual tenacity to hold on to His promises regardless of what you see. That’s the kind of faith that can move mountains.

Lord, I need faith. Mine is weak and wavering, but I do believe. Help my unbelief. Please give me the faith that comes from Your Spirit.

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