Last night as I read the beginning of Romans to my family at the dinner table I was struck by the 5 verse of chapter 1,
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." As I read the emphasized praise above I was struck by stories of others whom I know whose life is a story of God's faithfulness. I was even reminded of times in my own life where God expanded His testimony of faithfulness in my experience.
When I read those words I simply put down my Bible and began to tell the kids about some of the stories of faith that I have seen in the lives of others around me recently. We were all greatly encouraged by each of the stories of God's faithfulness. It is a reminder of how He does not change and that His faithfulness last from generation to generation throughout all the age. Whether it be the old testament stories of God's providential hand guiding Israel for generations or the story of God's faithfulness in the life of Brad Dacus, with Pacific Justice Institute, which I heard yesterday at breakfast, sharing the story of God's faithfulness in ones life is an encouragement!
What are you doing to lead a life of faith? When one chooses to walk by faith, he choose to let God write a story of His faithfulness on that individual's life. Sometimes this story is written for others to see and be encouraged by as they hear the story recounted again and again.
Sometimes we get confused because we think that faith is the something that is not tangible, because it is in the unseen realm that one chooses to live by faith. Hebrews 11:1-2 state,
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." We know from this passage that faith is definitely played out in the inner man. It is in this inner man that we choose to believe that God framed the word of God, that He spoke the earth into existence, that I am sanctified and justified through Jesus work on the cross, that Jesus rose from the dead, etc. I also see in this passage the evidence of one's faith in the unseen realm is evidenced as a good testimony of God's faithfulness in my life. Though we cannot see the thoughts or the heart of a man, we can see the fruit of a life of faithfulness.
When we see the evidence of faith in the lives of others we would do well to make notes and recount it to others. Giving an account of the faith of others is praising God for His faithfulness and the evidence He's showing us.
May we learn to live by faith!
