INTEREST AND FAITH IN GOD’S WORD

“That your FAITH should not be in wisdom of men but in the power of God” – 1 Corinthians 2:5

You can profit in God’s Word only to the extent that you have INTEREST and FAITH in the WORD! It is not just the word you read or hear that transforms you, but the word that enters: “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple” (Psa.119:130). No one gets drunk by simply smelling alcohol; the liquor must enter into the system for a person to get drunk.

First, INTEREST produces INSIGHT. You must be passionately interested in God’s Word. Always ask Him to give you fresh insight from His word. Interest creates spiritual fervency, intensity, and vibrancy which in turn produce insight from the Word. God reveals His word to us via His Spirit: “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1Cor.2:9-10). Apply yourself diligently to secure insight from the Word consistently.

Second, is FAITH: God’s Word does not work in isolation of your faith! To profit in the Word, you must have faith in it, the proof of which is to be a doer (Jam.1:22-25)! You need Faith to make the Word operational in your life: “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Heb.4:2). The children of Israel did not enter the rest promised them because of unbelief. Jesus didn’t do many miracles in His hometown because of the people’s lack of faith (Mt.13:53-58). To exercise Faith and profit by God’s Word, you must be convinced of its authenticity and reliability. Any form of doubt about the truth of the Word will weaken and ultimately nullify your faith. Never forget that: the Bible is God’s own Word with His seal of Authorship, not fables or fabricated stories (2Pet.1:16-21; Isa.55:8-11).

Everyone puts their faith in something. You either trust in the Word of God or you trust in your reasoning or feelings. David was a man who exercised faith in God’s Word, as evidenced when he was confronted with the taunts and challenges of Goliath (1Sam.17). All the soldiers in the Israelite army saw Goliath, heard his arrogant words and were paralyzed with fear. David heard the same challenges, saw the same giant, and experienced the same feelings of righteous indignation for the name of the Lord. However, David’s faith was rooted in what God said was true. He believed that God was bigger than Goliath; and that His promises were truer than Goliath’s threats. David’s perspective was influenced by God’s Word, not by his human fears. We don’t always get to choose which Goliath’s we face but we do get to choose whether we face our Goliath’s with faith in God’s Word or faith in ourselves.

Faith is the answer to every breakthrough desired in life. To be mighty in faith like David, you must be convinced that God’s Word is true: know what it says, do what it says and be trained to use the Word as the sword of the Spirit (Eph.6:17b). God has already provided more than enough blessings for us in Christ, but they are accessed by faith in His Word: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb.11:6). Faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom.10:17). Faith grows as you believe the Word that you hear, read, study, and meditate in, and as you act on the Word. When you face life’s Goliath with reliance on the Word rather than trust in your carnal resources, you are set on the lane of supernatural Victory – because FAITH is the VICTORY that overcomes the world (1Jh.5:4).