Faith pleases God
Faith pleases God. It makes Him smile. He delights in people stepping over the aching void with nothing beneath their feet but His holy Word. When you act on the Word of God, you meet the power of God. Jesus told the man with the withered hand to stretch it out and when he did the hand was made whole. That’s how fast miracles can happen if you act on what you believe. Smith Wigglesworth used to say in his meetings, “Faith is an act. The first person down here will get healed.” And they did. Faith is the missing link between getting made whole and not getting made whole. God is the answer but He needs your faith to give Him the legal right to move in your life. Faith makes unbelief mad. Joshua and Caleb made the ten spies with the evil report mad because their faith revealed their doubt and unbelief.
People who don’t walk in faith get mad when other people do because it shows how wrong and weak they are. Believe God anyway and don’t be moved by what other people say and think. Your life of faith is to be a witness to everybody round about you. It’s to be a light to the world. People need to see through your words and actions that it is possible to please God. It is possible to obey Him and be victorious and made whole. It’s possible to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. In seeing you they have no excuse. Miracles are less common today because people are afraid to step out of the boat and act on what they believe. Make sure you’ve heard from God – Peter heard Jesus say “Come” – and then take that first step because nothing will happen until you do.
It is possible to have problems all around you but still have confidence and peace in your heart. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 4:8,9, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” The Message Bible states, “We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.” Paul was in many trials but was not overcome in defeat because he had the same spirit of faith that Jesus had on the earth, and that spirit of faith is the spirit of victory.
He said in vs. 13,14, “But since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” Every problem in the world is overcome by faith but you’ve got to do more than sit in your chair and believe something. You’ve got to put action to your faith (James 2:17,
20,26). Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). Jesus would tell people to do things they could not do physically and they had to believe there was power in the words He spoke. They then had to put action to their faith for faith without corresponding actions is dead. Living faith acts whereas dead faith believes but does not act. Faith does something and God smiles and is pleased when you step out in faith.
Faith is the central theme of the New Testament and Heb.10:35 says, “Therefore do not cast away your confidence which has great reward.” Vs. 38 states, “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” Drawing back is a sign of doubt and unbelief but vs. 39 says, “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” The Message Bible says, “But we’re not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We’ll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.” When you act and speak on what you believe in your heart your soul will prosper and be saved and this is the starting point to being made whole. 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Hebrews 11 tells you what faith is and then gives you examples of how faith acts, sounds, responds, and moves in real life.
Verse 1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The NLT Bible states, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” The word “substance” means ‘a standing under’ and is like a strong foundation to a building. Faith is what your hope stands on and is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s your handle on what you can’t see and is the confidence of what you’re expecting. By faith you “know” you have something when you can’t see it or feel it. You can “know” you’re prosperous while you’re still in debt and you can “know” you’re healed while your body still hurts. You can “know” you’re born-again even though you still feel like a sinner. This is what faith is all about. You don’t have to see it to believe it. But when you do believe it, rest assured, in due season you will see it.
Faith begins where the will of God is known. David ran toward the giant because he had faith in God. He already knew what was going to happen. He told King Saul that God would deliver the giant into his hands and this same spirit of faith is in you today. You can’t have faith for something beyond what God told you. Don’t go off half-cocked and believe for something God didn’t say you could have. Don’t believe that your pastor will give you his car by the end of the week and don’t quit your job thinking money will miraculously show up in your mailbox each week. That is foolishness and not faith. Your hope needs something to stand on so only believe for what God said you could have. Faith comes by hearing what the will of God is. You must be confident and fully persuaded that it is God’s will for you to prosper and be in health just as your soul prospers. All your prayers and fastings will do you no good until you are persuaded that God’s will is based on His Word.
Believers are those who are expecting something good to happen. When you ask, you’re confident you will receive. When you seek, you’re confident you will find. When you knock, you’ll have confident expectation that it will be opened to you. Heb. 11:2 says that by faith “the elders obtained a good testimony.” God will talk good about you when you walk in faith. God smiles and is pleased with you when you believe He will do what the Word says He will do. This is how you obtain a good report so day in and day out do everything in faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) so open your eyes in the morning and blink them in faith. Get up and get dressed without complaining and drive to work in faith. The key thing to learn about faith is that faith without works is dead. Dead faith will not get your bills paid or your body healed. Living by faith is acting on what you believe. You’ve got to step out.
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. You seek Him because you believe He is and you believe you have the same spirit of faith that was on Jesus when He went about and healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed the hungry. You have the same spirit of faith that was on Adam when he named all the animals, the same spirit that was on Abraham when he left home not knowing where he was going, the same spirit of faith that was on Moses when he stretched forth his rod and the Red Sea parted, and the same spirit that was on Peter when he preached on the day of Pentecost. This same spirit of faith is in you. Heb. 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Likewise, faith filled words frame your world and will create and shape your future.
The spirit of faith is just not taught, it’s caught. Faith doesn’t come and grow by association or by only hearing good sermons about it. You must want it and have a deep desire for it. You must pursue it and receive it. You don’t learn the spirit of faith sitting in a class room. Some things are better caught than taught. You catch faith by doing it. People can quote scripture frontward and backward and still not have the spirit of faith. Many people have college degrees but don’t know God. Faith is evident in a person’s personality. You can see it in their eyes, you can hear it in their voice, you can see it in how they carry themselves. You can see it in the way they respond to things and how they make decisions and the way they do everything in life. The person with the spirit of faith trusts God and has confidence in Him and expects good things to happen.
Faith is always up, never down. There is no such thing as a depressed person walking in faith. If you are down, depressed, and afraid, you are not in faith. Faith is up! Faith is victorious! Faith laughs in the face of calamity and death. Jesus was never scared. He stood up to devils, storms, and diseases. He never backed down. He spoke the Word and changed those situations around. Paul said “we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Cor. 4:130. This is how you frame your world. Every marriage problem, every money problem, every sickness problem, every problem in life can be overcome with faith! Trust God and win the battle. He always causes you to triumph in Christ Jesus. You are a winner and the spirit of faith is the spirit of victory. It is the spirit of the overcomer so cast not away your confidence.
Faith is like a muscle. You have to keep feeding it and exercising it. It is also discernable. You can see it in action. You can see it on someone’s face and hear it in the tone of their voice. Faith is confident and there is no faith in a person who is down and depressed. Faith is not for the weak and faint, those who moan and groan and act pitiful. Faith is for those warriors who confront the giants in their lives and win every time. They stand their ground and never give up and never back down. They frame their world with what they say and do. When unbelief draws back, faith steps out. It wouldn’t be faith if you could see in the natural how everything was going to turn out. If the Lord told you to do something then don’t try to figure it out. Step out in faith and do what God told you to do. Cast your fear aside and do it.
Isaiah 1:19 says if you are willing and obedient you will eat the good of the land. God has no pleasure when he can’t bless you and this is why He wants you to step out in faith and not draw back. Hebrews 11 is a list of people who stepped out. Noah stepped out and built a boat. He worked on it for years and years and years. People mocked him and ridiculed him but when the rain came it was Noah and his family who survived the great flood. All because he stepped out and did what God told him to do. He obeyed the word of the Lord. He did not draw back in fear and hide and play it safe. He heard from God and stepped out and the Lord prospered what he put his hand to. God will bless and prosper you if you will frame your world and do the same thing. If you will step out and obey God you will be blessed and made whole.
Faith is a living thing. God said “light be” and out of the darkness and void came something that could be seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. This principle of operation has never changed for there is no better way of doing things. Jesus talked to a tree, the wind, and the water. He talked to things He couldn’t see. Peter’s mother-in-law had a high fever and Jesus talked to it and rebuked it. Can fevers hear? It left her so yes, fevers can hear, as do trees, storms, and anything else you speak to in faith. What are you talking to? Most people don’t speak to the things that plague their life because they don’t have faith in the power of their words. God uses His words to release His faith and Eph. 5:1 says to be imitators of God as dear children. The Message Bible says, “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.”
Do you want to be made whole? Then frame your world and speak to your bank account, your wallet, and your job. Speak to your high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Speak to your marriage and your troubled and depressed mind. Speak life into your circumstances and be made whole. Let the weak say “I am strong” (Joel 3:10) and let the poor say “I am rich.” Prov. 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it’s fruit.” Your words today frame your world tomorrow and what you love to talk about is what you will eat. God works with your words and Jesus is even called the High Priest of your confession (Heb. 3:1). Your words are molding and shaping what’s going to happen in your life.
God framed the worlds with His words and you frame your world with yours. You frame prosperity and health and soundness of mind by what comes out of your mouth. Confess daily that with long life God will satisfy you and show you His salvation (Ps. 91:16). You have the same spirit of faith as the patriarchs of old and in Hebrews 11 we see the spirit of faith manifested in their lives. Their faith was in different areas and the Bible teaches that faith has to be developed in each individual area. Having faith for divine protection does not mean you have faith for prosperity. You can be well off financially but have a tendency to be sick all the time. Or else you are in perfect health but can’t pay your bills each week. Step out and exercise your faith in that particular area where the provision of God is most lacking.
Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it he being dead still speaks.” Abel had “giving faith” and he offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than his brother Cain. It takes faith to give and faith always gives the best. Jesus said in Matt. 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Your check book reveals what your priorities are. Gen. 4:4,5 says, “Abel also brought the firstlings of his flock and of the fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.” God cares about offerings. One day Jesus sat and watched what people put into the offering plate. The Lord does not accept and respect all offerings so when you give do it willingly and gladly so that it honors God. And always give your best like Abel did. The widow with two mites gave her best and received high praises from Jesus for doing so.
Cain brought an offering but in his heart it wasn’t the best. The Message Bible says, “By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That’s what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.” The heart of the giver determines the acceptability of the gift. Abel loved God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. He gave God the best sheep he had and now six thousand years later people are still talking about what Abel did because it impressed God. He didn’t live very long. The word “Abel” means ‘vapor’ but it’s not how long you live that counts even though God wants you to live a long, prosperous life. Abel gave an offering from his heart and he is remembered today because he gave his best. He gave in faith believing God would know that this was the best offering he could give. His gift was expressing his heart to God saying how much he loved Him.
God is a God of excellence and with Him only your best will be considered good enough. Your whole life is to be an offering to the Lord. Rom. 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Sickness is not acceptable and this is why God wants you healed and made whole. This is why in the Old Testament you could not offer to God a sick animal. It was evil to do this because they could have done better. Instead, the people were selfish and wanted to keep the best animal for themselves.
Any financial gift or act of service you give unto God is unacceptable unless you give the best you have. And don’t fool yourself. God knows what you can give and what you can’t. A lack of money never causes a person not to give but a lack of faith. If you don’t give God your best like Abel did then you’re saying you don’t love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You can’t have strong faith living like that. But when you give God your best, when it comes time to pay your bills and receive your healing, your confidence level will be right where you need it to be.
Hebrews 11:5,6 says, “By faith Enoch was translated so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found because God had translated him’; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Enoch had “fellowship faith.” He fellowshipped with God and communed with Him and was so close to God that he didn’t die but went straight to heaven. God didn’t just do this, Enoch had faith that this would happen. Faith is much more than just knowledge. You can have great intellect but have no faith. You can study and read hundreds of books and speak ten languages and still not know God. It’s not about what you know, it’s about Who you know. God must be real to you. Faith in God comes about by knowing Him through His Word, through fellowship and prayer, and walking with Him in life. You can’t trust somebody beyond how much you know them. If you don’t know God, you can’t have faith in God. God is revealed to you in the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 5:18-23 sets forth the brief biography of this Old Testament saint. We know nothing of his rank or profession but two things of great interest characterize his life, namely his holy life on earth and his glorious exit into the presence of God. Twice over we are reminded that he walked with God. Enoch was at peace with God and although he was born a child of wrath he became a child of grace. Enoch enjoyed close communion with God and one can only imagine the sweet hours of holy and happy fellowship they had with one another. There was never a cloud between them as there was a genuine bonding of hearts as they communed with each other. God was a pleasure to Enoch, and Enoch was a pleasure to God.
Jude 14, 15 tells us that Enoch functioned as a prophet, declaring God’s judgment upon the unrighteousness of his time. Enoch was separated from the world and this seventh son from Adam did not walk in the way of the sinners of his corrupt age. His character and conduct were a distinct rebuke to the godless around him. Enoch’s life was one of progress. Walking with God implies a steady progress in his fellowship with his Friend. In unbroken companionship with God he found himself more weaned from the world and more ripe for heaven. He walked with God and with each step he took his eyes were fixed on his heavenly Companion, so much so that “God took him” which means he was translated that he should not taste death. Thus at 365 years of age God took His friend and servant directly to heaven. Enoch had a glorious end to his life because he had “fellowship faith” in the one true God.
Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” The Message Bible says, “His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” Nothing is known of the early life of Noah who first appeared on the scene when he was five hundred years old. We do know he lived in a time when men were universally corrupt, so much so that God said He would destroy the human race (Gen. 6:1-7). In the midst of an age of moral darkness, Noah was perfect in his generation. He also walked with God and had a life radiant with righteousness.
Noah was intimate with God and learned of His purpose to destroy mankind and was given the strange and almost impossible task of building a vessel large enough to shelter his family and a pair of all the animals that roamed the earth. Noah had respect for what God said and his faith was demonstrated in his preparation. It took over a hundred years to build the ark during which time he was ridiculed and mocked by those in the godless world around him. But Noah had “preparation faith” that keeps standing over the passage of time and when things don’t seem to be changing in the natural. The word “prepare” means ‘to set up, to make ready, to arrange.’ Faith gets ready! Faith prepares for the fulfillment of God’s Word.
If you believe something, you will get ready for it. Even today people who believe Jesus is coming soon are preparing for His return. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus and prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah. Noah believed a flood was coming when it had never rained before. Gen. 2;4-6 says there was no rain up until the time of Noah. There were no thunderstorms and lightning and strong winds. Everything was perfect. The grass and plants were watered by the morning dew. The mist came up every day and watered everything. Rain was a foreign concept to Noah but he believed God and prepared an ark. He set about the tremendous work of the boat’s construction and daily he had to endure the ridicule of the godless. At last the waters of judgment covered the earth but all within the ark were saved.
Are you in faith for something? If so, what are you preparing for? Your answer reveals the level of faith you have. Big faith prepares big, little faith prepares little, no faith doesn’t prepare at all. Take notice that first and foremost you must hear from God! Don’t prepare something off the top of your head. Noah heard from God and prepared the ark. He stepped out and got ready. Serious Christians get ready and stay ready. They’re ready in season and out of season. They pray before they go to church, they prepare their offering, they get ready to serve at a moment’s notice. Matt. 25:1-13 tells the parable of the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. The unwise virgins had no extra oil and were not prepared to stay very long. Lack of preparation shows foolishness.
The wise virgins, on the other hand, took extra oil for their lamps and were prepared to wait as long as they needed to. The bridegroom tarried and finally at midnight word came that he was coming and the unwise virgins had to leave and go buy some oil. If you’re getting ready, you’re not ready. If you wait to get ready, you’re too late. “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, i do not know you'” (vs. 10-12). It pays to be ready.
Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Faith obeys! Abraham had “obedient faith” and because of that he stands out as a landmark in the spiritual history of the world. We know him as we know few men of the Bible and his place in the Hebrew 11 “Hall of Fame of Faith” is altogether unique and unapproachable. He was a rough, simple, venerable sheep master. He uttered no prophecy, wrote no book, sang no song, and gave no laws. Yet in the long list of Bible saints he alone is spoken of as the father of the faithful (Gal. 3:7) and as the friend of God (James 2:23). The Bible offers us many types and shadows of Jesus but Abraham is the only person in scripture compared to God the Father. Abraham so loved God that he offered his only son as a sacrifice and centuries later John 3:16 said the same thing about the Heavenly Father.
Faith comes by hearing but develops by doing what God tells you to do. Faith and obedience go hand in hand (Rom. 1:5;10:16,17; 16:26) and you must use your faith and exercise it in order for it to grow. Don’t wait for trial and hardship to come. Use it every day. You want strong faith when the unexpected happens. Abraham didn’t know where he was going but he stepped out and obeyed anyway. It took faith to do this and this is why he was called the friend of God. You also must be willing to do anything God tells you to do. Obey Him regardless of not knowing what lies around the next corner. If God tells you to do something then that means He’s got a plan. He had the plan before He told you to do anything so step out in faith and do what He told you to do. Trust Him! He’s a good God. He’s never let you down before. Get out of the boat and do what God tells you to do.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God wants you happy and He wants you blessed. If He tells you to do something out of the ordinary trust Him and do it. Don’t try to figure it out. Abraham left town not knowing where he was going. Faith obeys anyway because you know God and that He is faithful and has never failed you yet. If you know that you know you’ve heard from Him you can rest and have peace of mind knowing everything will be all right. Life is short and playing it safe all the time can cause you to miss God’s will for your life. A lot of people know what God wants them to do but they keep putting it off and putting it off. If you listen to the enemy you can always find an excuse to not do what God tells you to do.
Faith is not a movement nor is it a fad. It’s the way God ordained you to live. Faith will obey God not knowing and not understanding why God said to do what He told you to do. When Jesus turned water into wine He told the servants to fill the pots with water. This didn’t make any sense for they were out of wine, not water. But they did it anyway. It takes faith to do something when you don’t understand what’s going on. Just do it anyway and watch God work. Mary said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” It takes “obedient faith” to do this.
Hebrews 11:11 says, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judges Him faithful who had promised.” People are judging God every day and don’t realize they’re doing it. They judge Him unreliable when they say, “You just never know what God’s going to do.” The Amplified Bible says Sarah “considered God who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word.” Faith judges God faithful. God is reliable to His word and you must believe God will do what He said He would do and then act on it.
Finally, faith looks for the fulfillment of God’s promised Word. Heb. 11:10 says Abraham looked forward to the city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Doubt says, “What’s the use?” but faith says, “It’s out there. Let’s go get it!” Deep calls unto deep. Look for it! He who seeks finds! When you get in the spirit and press in you’ll sense things inside of you. God has big plans for you and a supernatural blessing is on it’s way into your life. You don’t see it yet but you know it’s there and it’s coming. So what do you do? Start looking for it and keep looking. Too many people quit if they don’t see something the first time they look. If you look and still can’t see it, look some more…and more…and more…and more. Open your eyes and look for it. If you can’t see it, look again…and again…and again…and again. If God says it’s coming, then it’s got to come.
Expectation causes faith to rise up inside of you and when it does you look for the blessing. Something good is going to happen to you so look for it and keep looking. The spirit of faith has tenacity and persistence. It can’t be moved by what it sees or hears or feels but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Go look again! Stop crying and stop feeling sorry for yourself. This irritates God and hinders Him from working in your life. But faith pleases Him. If you’re in faith, you’re not depressed. Look for the blessing and keep looking for it with joy unspeakable. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you.
In your heart you’ve received your prosperity, you’ve received your healing, and you’ve received peace and a sound mind. You’ve been made whole. Be like Abraham who “did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what he had promised He was also able to perform” (Rom. 4:20,21). Abraham was fully persuaded and if you judge God faithful you will be fully persuaded as well.
