Don’t Shrink Back
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 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)
We are shifting into a new season and greater place of faith. It is impossible to please God without faith, and we are encouraged to activate our faith by listing the things we’re believing God in. We see ordinary people who chose to live a life of faith. This encourages us to build our own faith without shrinking back in fear, being timid, anxious, or doubtful around what God wants to do in and through our lives.
If we want a faith that grows, flourishes, and doesn’t shrink back, we must do these five things:
Keep God first in our lives. Where is God in our lives? If He’s not at the top of our list, He’s not on our list. There’s a re-ordering of our priorities when we experience salvation. We learn how Abel’s faith impacted his offerings to God. He brought his first and his best. God honors and rewards us when He sees our faith move to prioritize Him.
Walk with God everyday. God is not a Sunday God. He wants to walk with us daily, and He wants a personal relationship with us. We are encouraged to be closer to Him. Sometimes, walking with God means walking away from what’s familiar, taking a risk, leaving what’s comfortable, or stepping out into the unknown. Enoch demonstrates biblically what it means to walk intimately with God.
Do what God says. We must follow the nudge of the Holy Spirit. When we do what God says, there’s a stirring in our faith that comes alive. If God is nudging us, we must move in faith, and do what God is asking us to do. Like Joshua, when we obey God, we experience His supernatural power, protection, prosperity, and presence in our lives. Don’t wait, hesitate, fixate, or become emotional. We must take the risk, and do what He tells us to do.
Wait patiently. We must discover a bigger perspective. If we understand that God’s timing is better than ours, we can wait a little while longer. If we can relax and develop a sense of humor, our spirits can be encouraged and strengthened while we endure our wait like Abraham. We must trust God, and know that His promises are worth the wait.
Thank God in advance. Like Joshua, we thank God for what He has already done, even if we haven’t seen it yet. There is power in thanksgiving and gratitude. When we worship, our faith is being activated as we give praise, glory, and honor to God. When praise goes up, the glory of God comes down, breaks strongholds, delivers, sets people free, and gives us the victory.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to grow and flourish in our faith, even when life is challenging. As you build us up, in our most holy faith, we prioritize, walk with, obey, wait, and thank you in advance. Do not allow our flesh to forfeit the destined promises you have for us. In Jesus’s Name. Amen.