Setting the Table of Faith
“Setting the Table of Faith”
by Pastor Alli Munsey
December 8, 2019
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
Hebrews 10:35-39, NIV
For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved.
Romans 10:10, GNT
Imagine going to a dinner party, and there is no food left or a place to sit. Does God experience the desire to serve us the meal of a miracle, but then finds that there is no room for him at the table?
We are called to set and expand the table of faith so that more people can experience God’s presence and miracles. Are we making space and stretching ourselves in faith?
Fear of past failures may tempt us to shrink back, but we must believe in what we cannot see because faith is on the other side of our obedience.
1. Faith Is Believing When I Don’t See It
In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is visualizing the future in the present. It is seeing in advance. A runner enters a race envisioning crossing the finish line. An architect draws out the building before the building becomes reality. We have to visualize where we are going. As believers, we must see the invisible. We must believe it before we see it.
2. Faith Is Found in My Obedience
We don’t have to understand God’s direction in order to obey. Faith is found in our obedience. Noah obeyed God in faith when he took the risk to build a boat with no rain in sight (Hebrews 11:6-7). Abraham was the father of many nations because he obeyed God when he was instructed to leave his home for a land that God would show him. God knew where the land was; Abraham did not. People may call us crazy when we follow the dreams that God gives us, but it’s only crazy until the dream happens.
3. Faith Is Persisting When it Gets Hard
We need to be persistent when it gets hard. It would be nice if faith was developed on the mountain tops, but that is not the case. Faith is developed in valleys. It is hard in the valley, but God will teach us there. We may lose people and material possessions, but we will not lose him. In the valleys, he teaches us to trust him, that he will never leave us. We might never learn that Jesus is all that we need unless Jesus is all that we have.
4. Faith Is Speaking it Into Existence
Most of our life is created by what we say. In Proverbs 18:21, the Bible says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We can speak to our futures. We can speak to the potential of our kids, spouse, and careers. That potential may not be present yet, but we call it forward. We are speaking it into existence. (Romans 4:17, TLB)
5. Faith Is Thanking God Before You Have It
In Hebrews 11:30, God called his people into the Promised Land and told them to march around the city of Jericho seven times. God said that as they marched, they should thank him for the victory in advance. He told them that this would cause them to have the victory. Instead of victims, we are victors. We are on the winning side. All we need to do is thank God in advance. In 2 Chronicles 2:20, God said to put the choir in front. Praise precedes the victory.
We will be inconvenienced before we can influence. See it. Believe it. Trust him. Set the table of faith and watch God do miracles.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
In what areas of your life do you believe that God is calling you to grow in your faith?
Can you remember a time when you believed before you saw results? What are you believing for right now that you cannot see?
Have you ever obeyed God when you didn’t understand his instructions? What happened?
Do you trust God in hard situations? What have you seen God teach you in the valley?
Where and to whom do you want to speak life? How can you increase your faith for the people and places in your life right now?
What victories do you want to thank God for in advance?