Day 26 Exercising “The Measure of Faith”!

“But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:26 NKJ
“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31NKJ
“Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28 NKJ
“When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Luke 7:9 NKJ

A popular reality show that has drawn worldwide attention is the “Biggest Loser”. Each week people tune in to see the extremely overweight contestants work hard in their pursuit to lose weight. They are willing to put in grueling hours of rigorous exercise and training, in order to reach their positive weight loss goals. I admire their courageous effort in attempting to do what they had previously viewed as impossible! They are working hard towards positive change! If they continue to exercise they will get the desired results that will positively impact their life, and the lives of those they love!

For this devotional I want you to focus on something that is not displayed on the television screen each week. I want you to focus on the truth that the muscles they are beginning to exercise have been in their bodies since the day of their birth. But they will only begin to manifest on the outside of their bodies, as they exercise them on the inside. Only an inward change can produce outward results, not vice versa. It is important to understand that before they entered the program, their muscles were being exercised; but that exercise was negatively focused, which produced the negative result, called obesity!

As I shared in yesterday’s devotional God has given to each person, “the measure of faith”. From the time we were created and formed by Him, He placed in us “the measure of faith” but He also gave us the free will to direct that faith. The many accounts where Jesus made statements regarding an individual’s faith shows us that we have the power to direct our faith, positively or negatively. A great example is the story of Peter walking on the water. He had the faith to step out of the boat and walk on water, but when he directed his faith negatively because of what he saw, he became afraid, and began to sink.

Jesus’ statement to Peter wasn’t one of anger. It was more like a loving father whose child first realizes they can ride a bike without training wheels, but then the child becomes afraid, and falls over. The father knows the child can do it, rejoices when he does, but then questions why, when they give up. And Jesus is saying to all of us, “You can do it! I am in you! Can you see it and perceive it? From the beginning I have given you all you need to stand strong in “the measure of faith”! Believe it! Walk in it! It is yours! Keep focused on Me and you will see it manifest in your life!”

When we exercise “the measure of faith” God has given us, believing we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us, as Philippians 4:13 tells us, we will be empowered to direct our faith for positive change. This focus will empower us to believe with hopeful expectation, for God to fulfill that which He has promised! And when we do this, the impossible becomes possible!

The other accounts where Jesus makes statements of fact, regarding an individual’s faith, refer to the person’s willingness to either exercise it, or not exercise it. Those who chose to exercise their faith with hopeful expectation received what they expected. And those who exercised it negatively with fearful expectation also received what they expected! My question to you is, “How are you exercising the measure (muscle) of faith God has given you?”

I want to encourage you today to begin exercising “the measure of faith”, believing with hopeful expectation, that God is performing his Word in your life! It is in you and Christ in you will begin to manifest it in your life on the outside, as you exercise it on the inside! Just like the contestants on the Biggest Loser who made the decision to believe they could do what they had previously believed was impossible, you too, can change the way you think! And when you do, you will begin to see the positive results in your daily life! Those results will not only affect you, but they will have a positive effect on everyone in your life and for generations to come!

Prayer: Today I choose to believe by faith that in me is “the measure of faith” that I can direct for positive change. I believe by faith that as I do this I will begin to see positive results manifest in my life! I choose to believe Your Word over my reality, and as I exercise “the measure of faith” you have given me, I will see my reality catch up to Your Truth! I praise You for giving me the power to stand strong in my faith, by giving me Your Spirit to guide me and direct me! I choose to keep my eyes fixed on You so that I will not look to the right or the left, and become afraid. Amen