2025-11-04
James 2:22 NIV
If you really believed God’s Word concerning your situation, how would you act differently? Saying you believe is just the beginning; activating your faith means preparing for the answer to arrive. Ask yourself, “If I really expected an answer to my prayers, how would I prepare for its arrival?”
In Scripture, Jesus gave His disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man… planted in his field… when it grows, it… becomes a tree'” (Matthew 13:31-32 NIV). The farmer may sincerely believe he can produce a mustard tree, but nothing happens until he chooses the location, prepares the soil, plants the seed, and continually waters it. Once he does all those things, he can actively watch for its appearance. So, where do you start?
(1) Pray for wisdom to make the right decisions (See James 1:5-7).
(2) Plan your work, and work your plan. Aimless, passive waiting for the things to materialize without thoughtful, active involvement will prove disappointing and fruitless. God uses you as His partner. “We are labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV).
(3) Break your plan into small, accomplishable action steps.
(4) Don’t wait for the fear to go or the faith to grow. Be prepared to take calculated, productive risks. Feel the fear and do it anyhow!
(5) Start thanking God even before you can see the answer. And if you should miss the bull’s-eye, remember the Revolutionary War militia’s response: “Ready, aim, fire!” Adjust your aim – and fire again. “[Abraham’s] faith and his actions were working together.” And that’s still the Bible formula for success.
Soul food: 1 Chr 10:1-12:22; John 8:42-59; Ps 49; Prov 25:18-20
2025-11-03
James 2:17 NIV
James asks, “What good is it… if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds… Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says… ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing… what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (vv.14-18 NIV).
A veritable ocean of faith without the appropriate action to follow it up is nothing more than an ocean of dead, useless faith. On the other hand, an ounce of faith that’s acted upon can produce an ocean of results (See Matthew 13:31-32). Action breathes life and power into your faith. The biblical prescription for faith is simple but potent.
(1) You decide to believe in God’s promise and His power to make it happen – leaving the “how and when” up to Him.
(2) You choose to act in keeping with what you believe before you see any evidence of the results.
(3) God responds to your faith by keeping His unbreakable promise.
“Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 KJV). God goes to work exercising His unlimited capacity to perform His Word. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV). Now – it’s up to you to claim and act on His promise.
Soul food: 1 Chr 7:20-9:44; John 8:31-41; Ps 30; Prov 25:13-17
2025-11-02
Romans 12:3 NKJV
Thank God, faith isn’t reserved for deeply spiritual people. If that was the case, we would all be in trouble! The fact is that regular people from all walks of life can be faith filled. We’re inclined to think faith belongs exclusively to people like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Samuel, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul. Now, without question, they were all faith heroes, but faith doesn’t belong solely to them. The Bible tells us, “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” No one will miss out on heaven because he or she wasn’t given enough faith to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved” (See Acts 16:31).
God intended that not only should we have faith but that we should live by faith. Three times the New Testament assures us “the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38 NKJV). You reply, “Yes, but those biblical heroes had great faith; my faith is so small!” Did you know that the apostles felt the same way? They said to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5 NIV). And Jesus replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you” (v. 6 NIV.)
Like so many of us, the apostles thought they needed more faith. But Jesus corrected this spiritually crippling misperception by telling them you don’t need a truckload of faith to see amazing outcomes. “Faith as small as a mustard seed” can bring about awesome results. When you put the faith, you already have been given into action, Jesus said it will produce results!
Soul food: Gen 5:22-24; Heb 11:5; 2 Ki 2:1-12; Acts 1:9-11
2025-11-01
Hebrews 11:1 TLB
Faith has little to do with religion or what church you attend. The Greek definition of the word “faith” is pistis, which means a firm persuasion, a conviction based on hearing and learning. Some other words that help to define faith are trust, confidence, and believing.
And for good measure, here are a few scriptural descriptions of faith: “The confident assurance that something we want is going to happen… the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” The Bible tells us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (v. 6 NIV). It also tells us, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17 NIV). And the apostle James writes, “Faith… not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17 NIV).
Faith, though it may be felt, isn’t a feeling at all. The fact is, you can have faith and feel nothing, and you can feel nothing and still have faith. Nor is it related to intellectual or theological knowledge. Your IQ and level of education have nothing to do with your capacity to exercise faith. Effective faith calls for an act of your will. It’s a choice you make to fully embrace what God says in His Word. When that happens, it creates a heart climate that motivates you to act in keeping with what you choose to believe. That’s faith in a nutshell!
Soul food: 1 Chr 17:1-20; Heb 11:4-12:3; Ps 18:20-29; Prov 4:18
2025-10-31
Proverbs 15:6 NIV
In order to overcome your fear of investing, you must do these three things:
(1) Get savvy. Before you start investing, you need to learn the language and nuances of the stock market, real estate, mutual funds, and other transactions. There is a wealth of information available on the internet. Yes, your savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts are great ways to protect your money while earning a modicum of interest. But, if you want to make a higher return, you have to take some risk. And the higher the risk, the higher the return.
(2) Get counsel. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (v. 22 NIV). A good financial consultant will help you plan based on your age, risk tolerance, and investment objectives. Talk to friends and relatives who have made investments; learn from their experiences. And be sure to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is called “counsellor” because He can guide you in every area of your life (See John 14:26 AMPC).
(3) Get moving. Time is money. You can go broke trying to save for big things like your kids’ college education or your retirement if you don’t take advantage of the high returns offered by the stock market and other investments over an extended period.
And be sure to stand on God’s Word and trust Him: “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV). As long as your motive is to do God’s will and bless others, you can pray for God to bless you with success, and He will.”
Soul food: Deut 18:9-18; Dan 2; Isa 47:5-15; Acts 16:16-34
2025-10-30
Proverbs 21:20 NKJV
The Bible teaches two things about getting ahead financially. (1) You must be wise when you invest. When someone offers you a return on your money that’s too good to be true – it usually is! (2) Don’t just work for money; make your money work for you. “There is desirable treasure… in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it” (v. 20 NKJV).
And there is more than one way to squander your money. If inflation is running at 3 percent annually, but the interest on your savings is only earning 1 percent, you’re losing 2 percent of your purchasing power. So, your fear of investing can actually cause the very loss you dread. Job said, “What I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes” (Job 3:25-26 NKJV).
If that’s how you feel about investing, read this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths… Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of… trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” (Proverbs 3:5-6, 23-26 NKJV).
Not only does God want to meet your needs, He wants to meet the needs of others through you. And for that to happen, you must have wise investment strategies.
Soul food: 1 Chr 6:1-7:19; John 8:21-30; Ps 86; Prov 25:8-12
