Faith to Receive

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

Two key components in our relationship with God are listed in this verse and they are absolutely crucial in the walk of every believer.

·      The first is Faith

faith is simply believing and trusting that God is.  With faith we believe every Word that proceeds from Him, we trust him explicitly.  Our very existence and everything we build upon in our life springs from our faith in God. 

Hebrews 11:1 in the Amplified version says it like this: Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality---faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

We will find it difficult to walk in our relationship with God if we are trying to do it without faith.  And if our desire is to please Him we will need to come to him with the faith of a little child (Matt. 18:2-4), a trust without reserve. 

·      The second is believing that He will reward us

When we come near to Him in prayer we must believe, and have faith that we are approaching a God who Loves us and is a rewarder of those who seek Him.  When you go to God do you believe that you will receive?  When you open your mouth in praise, prayer and worship do you expect?  We must believe not only that He is God but that He desires to reward us with answered prayer.  He is a Good father who desires to give us good things.  Not because we earned it, not because of our good works but simply because we approach him in faith, believing. 

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father I come to you today in faith, declaring that you alone are God and there is none other. I trust you with my heart’s desire and believe that you will reward me as I draw near to you in faith. 

Jacob Generation

Psalm 24:3-6 AMP. This is the generation(description) of those who diligently seek Him and require Him as their greatest need, who seek your face, even [as did] Jacob. Selah.

Do you seek Him?  In the scripture above reference is made to Jacob, and that we are to seek Him (God) diligently as our greatest need, as Jacob did.  In the story from Geneses chapters 27 - 32, we see that Jacob had been promised blessing by the Lord, it was his to have.  Yet Jacob was a deceiver, and instead of trusting God for the promised blessing he sought out the blessing by conniving and scheming. 

We find Jacob in Genesis 32 at his most desperate moment.  Having been away from home for many years, having wealth, wives and much livestock he longs for his homeland.  Jacob the deceiver had been cheated by his own uncle Laban and could no longer stay in the land he had been living on.  Going home would require him to go right by his brother Esau’s home and Jacob feared him greatly because he had cheated him out of his birthright.  On the night before meeting his brother Esau, Jacob arranges gifts to be sent to him to try and soften his heart. Jacob then divides his family into two bands so that if Esau pursues one the other might escape.

 Geneses 32:24 says:  Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the break of day. 

We know from scripture that this “Man” was the Angel of the Lord.  And during this wrestling match of all wrestling matches Jacob is no longer depending on his own devices to get him out of his mess.  He recognizes his greatest need is God himself.  He latches on to the Angel of the Lord saying “don’t you leave me until I have your blessing”.  He is no longer seeking to work out the promised blessing his own way but instead is trusting and surrendering to God with intentional pursuit of the ONE who loves him without reserve. 

Just before the break of day, in verse 26 the Angels says “let me go, but Jacob says no I won’t.  It was as if the Lord was challenging Jacobs intent.  Would he continue to hold on and seek him or would he let him go?  We know the answer, Jacobs name was changed that day from “deceiver” to Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed. 

What is it that you seek today?  Will You be named among the Jacob generation?

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I’ve tried to go my own way.  I recognize that you are my greatest need.  I confess that without you I am undone.  I seek your face.  Your Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.