I Don't Have To See It To Know That I Have It

Hebrews 11:1--KJV--Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We've already talked about faith and our happy anticipation of good. Now let's delve into faith being the evidence of things not seen.

Let me remind you that Romans 4:17 bluntly tells us that God calls those things that be not (future blessings) as though they were. Remember, His promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:5 was--"I have made you the father of many nations." God talked about something many, many, many, many years in the future as if it was already accomplished. And to God, it really was. According to Isaiah 55:11, any Word that God uttered was a creative Word. 

There is a time element in every Promise of God. If it didn't manifest exactly the moment it was spoken, then God obviously had a particular time for it to manifest. King David wrote about it in Psalms 31:15--My times are in Thy hand. His son, Solomon wrote about it in Ecclesiastes 3:1--To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. 

Isn't it strange that Solomon used the word 'purpose' in that verse? No it's not. Because Isaiah 55:11 God specifically says that there is a purpose for every Promise He made. And God's purpose for His promise comes with a time element.

Jesus, Himself, was cognizant of God's time table. There were some things that Jesus KNEW when, where and why they were going to happen. However, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, one of the lines Jesus taught them was "Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in Heaven." In other words, Jesus taught them that there were some things that God was going to do that He didn't intend on telling ANYBODY about. Jesus was saying, "Do what You need to do when you need to do it and I'll be Ok."

God IS sovereign. He always has been and He always will be. There are some things that He doesn't need our cooperation or foreknowledge to get accomplished. And we have to be Ok with that. That's why it's called faith.

The point is, even if we don't know the exact time and place, we can still believe, rejoice in and expect God to do exactly as He promised in His Word. Little hitty-bumps in our life don't mean that God is NOT going to keep His Word. Now, He might have a different way of doing it or a particular time to do it but the bottom line is.....God IS going to keep His Word.

You don't have to see it to know that you have it. There was no reason in the world for Abraham to actually believe that he and Sarah would have a child EXCEPT for the fact that God said so. It certainly didn't look like it would ever happen. Their bodies certainly were proof that God's Word was coming to pass. However, Abraham learned to believe God no matter what it looked like.

It certainly didn't look like the children of Israel could conquer the city of Jericho with it's massive double walls built around it. But God had a plan. The Hebrews followed God's plan and acted like conquerors and God did what He said He was going to do.

It certainly didn't look like it was ever going to flood. However, Noah knew God well enough to know that he had better get his kids in high gear and build an Ark.

What if your spouse, your friends or you boss don't believe God's Word for you? God doesn't pay any attention to what somebody else believes when it comes to answering prayer for you. All He wants to know is, do you believe it. As long as you believe it, then He'll bring it to pass. 

You have every right to believe it and expect it to come to pass. Faith in God is your title deed to the answered prayer. As long as you have faith in God's Word, you OWN the promise of God. Your blessing doesn't belong to anybody else.  What somebody else thinks about you doesn't carry any weight with God. God is looking at YOUR faith to bring His Word to pass. AND, there is no one of the face of this earth that can stop God from doing it, either.

Oh, God is God over your spouse. Your spouse exists because of the mercy of the Lord just like we all do. If God can change Saul of Tarsus' mind and change Saul's way of thinking and acting, then your spouse is a piece of cake. Go ahead and shout about that. Tell your spouse I said you could.

God doesn't need your job to supply your needs. Philippians 4:13 says that God will supply your needs according to HIS riches in glory and not you boss's whim. By the way, He controls you boss, too.

Time and 'it doesn't look like' are the two biggest killers of our faith or our happy anticipation of good. Just because He hasn't done it yet doesn't mean He's not going to. Just because it doesn't look like there is any way under the sun it could ever happen doesn't mean that God won't cross every barrier just to keep His Word like He said He would. Just like Jesus did, we have to be willing to say, "Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done." Give God's Word the space to organize and manifest itself in any way God determines that it should.

Do you want to solidify your faith? Then, let your faith be the evidence of what you don't see at the moment. Acknowledge to God that He has the right to fulfill His promise any way that He sees fit. Then begin declaring God's Promises as if they were already manifested.

For example: My needs ARE met according to God's riches in glory. It IS good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over that men give to me. God HAS opened the windows of Heaven and poured me out a blessing that I don't have room enough to receive. My children ARE saved and serving God as hard as they can. I DO have power over the devil and no weapon formed against me can prosper.

The more you confess your confidence in God's Word, the more His Promises will become real. You have already confessed your lack and doubted God's Word until you're in the mess you're in right now. You have thought so much about what you don't have and how you can't do it until the stronghold of doubt and fear have taken over you mind. 

Paul said if you change the way you think, you can change the outcome of your life. Romans 12:2. Encourage yourself in the Lord. Control your thoughts and don't allow your heart to be troubled. Rejoice in the Lord, meditate in the answer and spend some private time with God. The more you are in His Presence, the more your heart will be assured that His Word will come to pass.