Living by Faith: What Does Great Faith Look Like in Daily Life?
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In our daily devotionals at Group Bible Study, we continue with our topic, “Growing Our Faith in God.” Today we begin to look at: What Does Great Faith Look Like? Let’s get into it:
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."— Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
The Christian life of faith can seem like a complete mystery to the surrounding world. Even as believers, we often struggle to walk by faith because our daily thinking has been shaped by the earthly values of sight, security, and self-reliance. Biblical faith, however, is far more than an intellectual agreement that God exists. Faith has real substance. It is an inner conviction that grounds our lives in realities that our physical eyes cannot yet see.
In his book The Root of the Righteous, A. W. Tozer eloquently described the beautiful, upside-down paradox of a believer's walk:
"A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself to be full, admits he is so wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge."
When we choose to live this paradoxical life of faith, we can be completely confident that God will supply everything necessary to accomplish His will. We never need to beg or manipulate Him to help us; it is His delight to provide for His children as we step out into His purposes.
What Is the Paradox of Living by Faith?
Jesus Himself modeled this exact life of total dependence. In John 5:19, He revealed that as the Son, He did nothing on His own initiative. He watched the Father, listened to the Father, and moved only in alignment with the Father's heart. Jesus then issues a two-fold invitation to us: first, a "Come" message to find rest in His salvation (Matthew 11:28), and second, a "Go" message to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
To connect these two calls, Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us. In ancient agriculture, an inexperienced young animal was yoked alongside a mature, strong lead animal who knew how to pull the plow. When you are yoked to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, He carries the heavy load. You are simply stepping in rhythm with Him.
Stepping Out in Faith and Trusting God’s Provision
Stepping out of the boat of human security always captures God's loving attention. The secular writer Johann von Goethe once noted a principle of human initiative that mirrors spiritual truth: "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred." While Goethe spoke generally of "Providence," as believers we recognize this as the active, sovereign guidance of our heavenly Father. Because God exists outside the limits of human time, He is fully capable of arranging provision in advance for the steps of obedience you haven't even taken yet. Keith Thomas
Practical Application: How to Put Faith into Action
Examine Your Security Boat: What is the specific "boat of security" (a job, a habit, a need for control, or fear of failure) that you are clinging to right now instead of stepping out on God’s Word? Name it honestly before God today.
Take the Immediate First Step: Faith does not require you to see the entire ten-step plan; it only requires you to obey the single step right in front of you. Identify one small action of obedience God has been prompting you to take—such as forgiving someone, offering a generous gift, or sharing your testimony—and commit to completing it today.
Daily Prayer: Father, thank You that You do not call me to walk in my own strength or resources. I admit that I often rely on what I can see and control rather than trusting Your invisible promises. Lord, I want to take Your yoke upon me today. Teach me to pay attention to what You are doing around me and give me the holy courage to step out of my comfort zone. I trust that where You lead, You will abundantly provide. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Deepen Your Study
Want to dive deeper into how God turns your smallest step of obedience into supernatural provision? Watch the full teaching video for this study on YouTube, available with subtitles in 70 languages. Click the following link:
· Bookmark this page to browse all our free 3-minute Bible meditations.
· Read the full study online: How Can We Have Great Faith
· Series: This excerpt is taken from the series Growing Faith in God
· Visit the Keith Thomas YouTube Channel for more teachings.
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