| You Have to Believe It Before You Can See It |
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| By Rick Warren — Sep 2, 2015 |
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NLT, second edition)
Faith is visualizing the future. It’s believing it before you see it. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT, second edition).
A lot of people say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” God says the exact opposite is true: “You will see it when you first believe it.” There are many things in life that have to be believed before they can be seen.
In the 1960s, the Russians sent the first cosmonaut into outer space. He circled the earth, and when he came back down, he did a press conference and said, “I searched the heavens, and I looked for God, and I did not see him anywhere. Therefore, there is no God.” The Communists, which was an atheistic regime, said, “We now have scientific proof that there is no God.” About six months later, John Glenn went into space, circled the earth three times on Gemini, came back down, and held a press conference. He said, “I saw God everywhere! I saw his glory in the galaxy. I saw his splendor in the universe. I saw his majesty in the stars.”
Which one was right? They both were. Jesus said, “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Before there is spiritual transformation in your life, you’re too narrow-minded to see the possibility of what God wants to do in your life.
Wernher von Braun, the father of the nuclear movement, said, “There has never been any great accomplishment in history without faith.” It is faith that causes an architect to design a building because, first, he believes it can be done. It is faith that causes an Olympic athlete to practice and go to the Olympic trials because she believes she can achieve. It is faith that causes a sculptor or an artist to believe that he can paint a picture or attempt the sculpture. It is faith that causes the scientist to believe that we can put a man on the moon. Someone has to believe it before you see it. It is a universal principle of life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick>>
Talk It Over
- What do you believe God wants you to accomplish in your life?
- How should faith affect your goal setting?
- Why do you think God wants us to believe in faith instead of just showing us before we believe?
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| Today’s Scripture |
“Provide for those who grieve...a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
(Isaiah 61:3, NIV) |
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| Garment of Praise |
What are you wearing today? Not on your physical body, but what’s covering your mind and emotions? Are you clothed with despair and disappointment? Are you wearing “heaviness?”
If you’ve recently gone through a hurtful or disappointing situation, the Bible says there is a time to grieve. It’s important to go through that process and release the hurt to God. But the Bible also says that God wants to give you a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness or despair. He wants to exchange your hurt for His healing. He wants to fill you with His peace and joy.
Are the garments of yesterday holding you back and weighing you down? Maybe it’s time to exchange that heaviness for His garment of praise. Maybe it’s time to release those heavy burdens. It’s time to forgive those who have hurt you and begin to praise your way into a new season. Start right now by thanking Him for the life you have today. Thank Him for the opportunities today has to offer. Thank Him for the beautiful sunrise. Put on the garment of praise and release the spirit of heaviness.
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| A Prayer for Today |
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“Father, I humbly come to You giving You my old garments of despair and heaviness. Make me new today. Give me a garment of praise so that I can joyfully embrace the new season You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBgcrfbrarA
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