If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

Isaiah 7:9b

There are two kinds of faith: saving faith (believing in Jesus and receiving Him as Savior) and faith to participate with God in His activities on earth (being co-workers with God). When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must take a leap of faith believing that He is who He says He is, the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. Our faith from that point must continue to be exercised in order to participate with God’s activities on earth. James 2 says that faith without action is dead faith, so we must exercise our faith to have genuine faith. I am a member of a gym and I try to go three times a week to lift weights. The more I lift, the easier it becomes and then I am able to increase the weights as I build up my strength. The same is true for our faith: the more we exercise our faith, the stronger it becomes and the more we will see evidence of God working in our midst.

Sometimes God tests our faith. If we pass the test, our faith is strengthened.

Abraham was tested by God to see if he would trust God and obey Him, even if it meant sacrificing his son. One day God called out to him and told him to sacrifice Isaac, the child of promise. He was the child of promise because it was through Isaac that the Lord was going to form the nation of Israel. Isaac and Abraham went to the mountain prepared to obey God, but God intervened and sent a ram from the thickets to be the sacrifice (Genesis 22:1-18). Abraham passed the test.

Has God been testing your faith? Has He asked you to sacrifice something that you consider sacred-off limits to God? Remember the words in Isaiah: if you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. (Isaiah 7:9)

Your faith will be tested, but God has allowed it so that your “faith muscles” will become stronger.

Heavenly Father,

I recall times when my faith was tested and I turned and ran the other way. I did not know the reward of allowing You to strengthen me through obedience. I recall other times when my faith was tested and I stood my ground trusting that You would deliver and strengthen me. Help me, dear Lord, to persevere through my tests of faith, trusting You to make me stronger.

In Jesus’ name, Amen