"How To Gain Faith"

  I recently received an email asking a question, a very good question: How does faith come? It was asked from an intense struggle in the life of the individual. They are facing many obstacles and that's what led to the question. When people are in the midst of difficulties it can weigh heavily on the heart to a point where it looks like there is no hope and faith is the foundation of hope. Faith, true saving faith is needed.

  In order to gain faith, can we grit our teeth and it will come? Do we resolve that we will make it through this difficulty and it will come? Does it come by straining that faith finally drips into our minds and hearts? Faith involves trust and you can't force trust! It can only be grown. Take a flower and look that it doesn't force or strain to its beauty. They grow from the Lord into their beauty. How do you learn to trust in a dear friend? You didn't look at a person one day and demand that they become a dear friend! You were around them, shared your heart and they shared theirs with you. You shared your lives with one another. As they show themselves reliable, caring, sypathetic, helpful over the long haul, your trust in them begins to deepen. Unforced! Unbidden! No straining! No demanding! Their record over time produced a deep trust to place your thoughts into their hands without fear. And so it is with God. You need to stay around Him. Read of Him and listen to Him. Look at His story among man. Pay attention to how He responded. See how He deals with people in difficult situations. Absorb the truths of His love for people. Pay close attention to His consistancy, His reliability, His willingness to help and understand. When one starts looking at God in this fashion, faith, a trusting faith, begins to enter. Unforced! Unbidden! No fever or strain! When the storms hit you will find yourself strangely comforted, fleeing to Him for refuge because you know Him.

  We know the verse that is often quoted: "Faith comes by hearing and hearing the words of Christ." (Rom. 10:17) The above paragraph describes how one hears and what one hears. Faith is developed in a heart that wants the Lord, to serve the Lord and is thankful for salvation extended from the Lord. To anyone who reads this and finds themselves in a suffering situation in body or in mind - TRUST! There is One who cares so deeply and watching you. Your difficulties are for your faith as He will use it to trust Him. If you have been one who has easily walked away from the Lord at times, your difficulty will be to help you not walk away but flee to Him, listening and desiring so that a trusting faith will develop. Trust and you will find the Lord's word, His promises and ways are true...ALWAYS!