Great Faith, Little Effort

Most people including me, have thought or do think that it takes a lot of strength and effort, brain power or something of that nature to have faith in God.  It seems like something mysterious that we have to do something in order to charge up  our faith.  Let me ask a few questions to myself and you who are reading this.

Does it take great faith to sit on a chair, how do you know it won't collapse?
Does it take great faith to cross a bridge, how do you know it won't collapse?\
Does it take great faith to drive on the freeway or better yet a two lane? Is there a guarantee that someone isn't going to hit you?

These are just simple things that most of us do every day without thinking about it.  I think it might be a good idea when going out on the road to offer a prayer of protection but otherwise we just do it without a thought.
We will even back up and sit down in a chair, knowing it will hold us and even the fact that it is even there.
As far as crossing a bridge, I cross one every time I go to the market and if I go to the big town I cross lots of them without a thought if it is going to hold me up.

I am beginning to see that faith is very simple, so why is it so hard to have faith in God's promises?  Is it because we can't see Him or maybe it is because we don't know Him.  Remember, this study is pointing at me, not you.  You may have great faith and I hope you do.  I have some faith but I need more and so the reason for this study.  To get to know somebody, you have to spend time with them.  Sometimes to spend time with them you have to let other things go.  If someone calls and wants you to go somewhere with them and they are a special friend, you wouldn't mind letting some things go in order to go with them, well, that is the way it is with God.  We need to take time to know Him and I really do need to take time to know Him personally, not just a a giver of gifts or whatever but as a true friend that has only my very own good on His mind.

Our faith is obtained from the scriptures and so we need to spend more time in His Word to increase our
faith.

John 20:30,31  "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."  I just found this verse, very good!  Believing in what is written in this book, we will have life in His name.  Believing is faith and so studying His word will give us more and more faith.  I believe my faith has increased a lot lately but I need more.  To have life in His name means a lot more than we can imagine.  It means to live His life.  Living and doing for others.  I think I am catching on.

Romans 10:17  "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  Maybe you have something to listen to, to hear the Word of God.  Then you could listen while you work or do crafts, whatever you can do to plant the Word in your mind, that is what we need to do.  I have an ipod with the Bible on it and I did picture puzzles last winter and listened to my ipod Bible while I did them.  It is surprising what you can learn and also remember.  There's lots of things we can do and still listen to the Word being read.

I am hoping and praying each day that my studies will help you in your walk with God.  And today, I hope that you will see how we can have great faith with little effort.  How much effort does it take to listen to God's Word or read His Word each and every day to increase our faith in Him.  What a blessing this has been to me and I hope it has blessed you.  I just want to be a blessing through Him because He is blessing me through these studies.  If there is just one person being helped, I praise the Lord for that one.  May God
bless you very much if you are that one.  I am praying for you.  Grandma Joan