Developing our faith

Lets say you tell me there is a great ice cream shop 1/2 a mile away. I give you the name of it (unseen ice cream) - and you say its the best ice cream you will ever have. Well, that sounds great but you have had some pretty good ice cream in the past - Dryers, Breyers and a couple other ones are pretty good. So you might look up some reviews and line - see what people have to about unseen ice cream. So the reviews don't look to bad, people seem to enjoy it so you call up a couple a friends and say - have you ever heard of this unseen ice cream or have your eaten it - or to the shop its self even? Your friend reassure you and finally after hearing and hearing the words of your friends, and reading the reviews out loud, faith came by hearing. So now you decide, ok, I have developed enough belief in this unseen ice cream that I want to try it myself. So you take a step of faith one afternoon and start the 2640 step journey to the unseen ice cream shop.

The Substance of things hoped for

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Romans 10:17

¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Developing faith in real life works the same way as developing faith in unseen ice cream. Imagine if on the way to the Unseen ice cream shop -  a bus went by that said, no body believes in unseen ice cream, eat Breyers, the ice cream you can feel, touch, and experience with your physical senses. Along the way you see a dog wearing a sweater that says, I don't do unseen ice cream. Pretty soon you see an A frame sign that says, "Unseen ice cream went out with the Apostle's." Now, starting to feel unsure about your step of faith at 1500 feet into your journey, you see a stop sign that says, there is no unseen ice cream this way. As you think about starting to cross the street in the last cross walk to your destination - the don't want sign says, no unseen ice cream here. You are so dismayed that you turn around and wander back the way you came wondering why you ever even started on this journey. You have fully engaged in doubt about unseen ice cream. Doubt turn into unbelief - and now you are wandering around in a seen wilderness with no unseen ice cream.

The Promise of God

The rent is due soon. You hear a testimony about how God supplied the needs of someone else who prayed an believed. So you start by doing research in your bible to find if there is any promises of God you can stand on. You find 3 John 2 - Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. Ok, so that sounds pretty good, what are the other reviews. Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Sounding pretty good so far - you feel hope begin to build a little. In the testimony they mentioned 2 Corinthians 9:10 - Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) In that natural you have no means whatsoever of coming up with your rent money. So what do you do - do you act on the word and believe God - or do you believe the don't walk sign that says there is no unseen ice cream here. 

Pop Quiz Hot Shot! - The devil has you over a barrel - A gun of fear is to your head - what do you do?

Well - as cool as it may sound, you don't shoot the hostage, you take the sword of the Spirit and the Shield of faith and the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him when the devil comes in like a flood. You stand your ground (you don't stand your ground doing nothing, you stand your ground fully equipped to fight and defend your faith which is the substance of the rent that you have hoped for) having your loins girl with truth, having the breast plate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation.

Last resort by the devil to get you to focus on the wind and the waves: but what will people think - you are going to get embarrassed and make a fool of yourself - no one really stands on the word of God - you really need to be practical.