Faith That Grows…
The Word of God, when trusted and obeyed, has the power to transform like no other Instagram inspirational block can.
Those Instagram inspirational blocks may make your feeler feel good, or puff up your pride, but they’re empty calories consumed — they have no lasting value.
Like a bag of Cheetos or sleeve of Oreos — you may feel good at first, but longterm feasting on these things will leave you sick and deprived of essential nutrients.
But, it’s hard to imagine feasting on God’s Word when you don’t actually believe the truth — that His way IS TRUTH. His way is the way of LIFE.
You’ll continue to hold His Word at arm’s length because you just haven’t wholeheartedly bought in yet.
You either don’t actually believe His Word is the greatest treasure there ever was, or you don’t believe He would offer said treasure to someone like you, at least not until you worked hard enough to make yourself worthy.
What’s ironic is that because His Word is TRUTH, every other place you go looking for truth will leave you just shy of free. You won’t experience Him as your greatest treasure until You spend time in His presence. And, you won’t spend time in His presence if you believe you have to clean yourself up first — because, no matter how hard you try, you cannot make yourself clean enough to be in the presence of a holy God.
His Word says that Jesus did the janitorial work on your behalf. Your measly attempts at right living are like cow dung in His presence. But, because Jesus paid the ultimate debt you owe for every dishonorable thing you’ve ever done and will do, God can look upon you as He looks as Jesus — cleaned up, and ready to enter His presence.
When the magnitude of His grace + mercy sink in, you’ll begin to see His Word as a feast, rather than a chore. You’ll begin to see trust + obedience as pure joy + delight because in doing so, you become more like Him, whom your soul is growing to love more and more deeply.
It takes time.
It cannot be rushed.
Do not be discouraged if His Word doesn’t seem like such a feast right now.
Start with acknowledging to Him what He already knows — you cannot be cleaned up enough to stand in His presence without the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Decide that you will dethrone yourself and elevate God to His rightful place in your life.
That one thing you KNOW He’s asking you to let go, to do, or to reconcile? Do that now.
Practice obedience. It’s in doing so that your faith will flourish.
You cannot grow your faith. Faith that grows is birthed from a heart that obeys.
💛 Mama Hooper