Growing Faith

The older I get, the more I learn about faith. God is constantly growing my faith, if I let Him.

Knowledge and understanding are two totally different things. My children KNOW not to touch the eye of the stove because it could possibly burn them. When one of them actually did it a few months ago, their knowledge was immediately translated into understanding. This forms life changing experiences.

As Gracie's teacher, I sit down and explain a concept to her. I give her information and explain the rules of basic math. Then comes the test. What follows is sometimes more discussion, some frustration and tears, more learning and another test. It can seem like an endless cycle, but in the process a young student becomes a skilled professional. A little faith grows into greater faith.

But if you think about it, that's how God operates, doesn't He? He gave instructions through Moses for the children of Israel, then brought them to the banks of the Red Sea, then to a desert. He basically told them, "Time for the test. Let's see if you can apply My promises to your problems."

Jesus taught the disciples on the hillside, then they loaded into a boat only to sail into a horrific storm designed to help them apply God's truth to their life.

The same thing happens to us every day. We hear the Word preached each Sunday, we have our devotions and we feed on the scriptures. Then the Lord allows a trial into our life which gives us the opportunity to put His teachings into practice. As we pass the test and trust Him, we are strengthened for what is to come down the line.

Our faith grows when we make the choice to apply God's promises to today's problems and use those experiences to allow us to grow even more for what tomorrow will bring. Rest assured, we never encounter a situation for which God has not provided a promise to get us through it!