Faith grows

"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing."  2 Thes. 1:3.    Faith grows but only if you exercise it.  A body builder grows his muscles by exercise, lifting weights and stressing his muscles to different levels of strength until it tears, repairs, and grows.    Faith in God grows in two ways: 1) By hearing and applying the Word of God.  "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."  Rom. 10:17.  Sometimes God's Word is contrary to how we feel, such as, "Forgive when someone betrays you; Praise God in every situation; and Love when all else fails."  One thing we prove more and more as we mature in Christ, "God knows what is best for the health of our body, soul, and spirit."  Pray and obey God.   2) By taking risks.  If you don't have the guts to try you'll never have the power to succeed.  If you don't have the faith to take a risk, you will never know the pleasure of the rewards.  To succeed is to overcome obstacles, take new territories, and to conquer old fears.    Charles Spurgeon says: "Faith obliterates time, annihilates distance, and brings future things at once into its possession."  Faith in God brings security.  It anchors us in peace and holds us by its power.  Have faith in God.   Kingdom Declaration: My faith is in God and my peace is from Him.   Read the Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 15-16; Luke 10:25-42 @Dr Pat Francis @chayil$