Faith in Action
"And 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." - Hebrews 11:6 NIV
When we read the life and ministry of Jesus, we can see that he constantly invited his disciples and followers to participate in his miracles. It's clear He was intentionally teaching them to trust that He would do the supernatural, but they needed to do at least a small part of the natural.
Sometimes Jesus requires an action from us (even small) before He performs a miracle.
Consider the wedding at Cana, where Jesus performs his first recorded miracle, turning water into wine (John 2). Before performing this miraculous deed, Jesus instructed the servants to fill the jars with water. It was a simple, natural action He requested, but it was necessary for the miracle to occur.
A similar situation happened when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He first instructed the disciples to remove the stone covering the tomb. This seemingly human task preceded the extraordinary miracle of Lazarus's resurrection.
Would Jesus have been able to perform the miracles without the disciples' actions? Of course! But He was teaching them an important lesson, a lesson that we need to keep in mind for our lives: Our faith in action may often precede God's supernatural intervention in our lives, not because He cannot perform the miracles on His own, but because He wants us involved in the process.
Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith, it's impossible to please Him. And that faith isn't just about believing in God's existence; it's trusting that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
What action or step of faith is God calling you to do today? Whatever it is, remember that your faith in action sets the stage for God's supernatural work in your life.
Power of 4 Discussion Question:
Think about a time when you took a step of faith before seeing God's miraculous work in your life. What did you learn about God's faithfulness?