What Faith Can Do
Extravagant Faith
Do you know someone who is an extravagant believer? I mean someone who holds back nothing as they expect God’s hand in their lives. I don’t mean someone who is foolish, but someone who knows that God can accomplish what we can never do on our own. Someone who is so full of faith that he or she never doubts that God will step in and take care of every situation?
Are you such a person? Do you show faith even when difficult situations arise in your life?
A Bible Example of Faith in Action
The Bible has lots of stories about people who believed extraordinarily. There were those around them who believed … sort of. But I’m talking about people who believed in ways that seemed extreme.
One such story is in Luke 8:43-48. Let’s think about that story.
To really understand it, I want you to put yourself in this story – in the crowd. See yourself in a huge throng of people following Jesus as He walked through the street. He had no bodyguards as He walked with His disciples. The crowd was pushing and shoving, trying to get closer.
They wanted to get a good look at this unusual man who was becoming famous for His teaching and His miracles.
Touching Jesus in Faith
Suddenly, Jesus turned and said, “Who touched Me?”
Maybe you would have been like His disciples. They were confused. “What do you mean? The whole crowd is pushing up against you.”
I’m sure you would have been thinking, “In this big crowd, probably plenty of people have brushed up against Jesus. Who could He be talking about?”
Jesus answered the disciples, “No. Someone really touched Me, for I felt the power going out of Me.”
Then He turned and looked at a woman who had touched the hem of His robe. This woman had been sick for a very long time. She had a hemorrhage of blood which had lasted for 12 years. She had spent all of her money going to doctors, but no one had been able to cure her.
In fact, the Bible says that she suffered, growing worse.
At this point, she must have been frail and weak. Due to her bleeding, she would have been considered to be unclean in the Jewish society. Therefore she would have been required to stay away from other people. But here she was in the crowd, believing with extravagant faith that she would be healed by reaching out to touch Jesus’ robe.
That day, when she saw Jesus, she was drawn to Him. She had probably been hearing about how He had been healing people. She believed, “If I can just touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made well.”
And that’s exactly what happened. When she touched his robe, the flow of blood stopped, and immediately, she was healed. She could sense the strength surging through her body.
Jesus then said something very different than the crowd expected. “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
That’s What Faith Can Do
Let this picture sink in. Jesus didn’t even know that the woman was there until He felt the power go out of Him. Her faith had put a demand on the power within Him, and she had received her healing.
Let’s fast forward to today. Our Savior is alive today. There is a crowd of people all around us, some believing in Him and some not – just as when He walked the earth. Within the crowd of “believers,” there are a few – maybe just one or two, who really believe.
They are the ones who see His hand in their lives more than the norm. They are the extraordinary believers, and they see things happen that the others don’t.
It’s not that Jesus loves them more. It’s just that these faith-filled believers reach into His Word and see things which many others do not. They are willing to go beyond the usual and expect God to work in a great way. They know beyond a doubt what faith can do.
Don’t Have Faith in Faith
So how do you fit in? Are you willing to believe for miracles in your life?
In your health?
In your family?
In your finances?
In your church?
You have to decide for yourself.
Don’t look around at the crowd. They probably aren’t believing that much.
For you to have great faith, you don’t pursue faith itself. Instead, pursue Jesus. Read His Word and pray. Take time to be still and listen to Him. Hand over your worries and anxieties to Him, and don’t take them back.
When you get great faith, your confidence is not in your faith – it’s still in Jesus.
Any attitude of faith which doesn’t keep Him in the center has its root in pride. If you get proud of your faith, you have to go back to square one and start over. Scripture teaches us that pride goes before a fall.
Katie Hornor tells this story…
Several years ago, I knew a man who had been healed of a brain tumor. I had just recently recommitted my life to God, and I was beginning to learn about healing as it is recorded in the scriptures. I was really excited to witness this dramatic healing.
Several years passed, and in the midst of lots of teaching concerning faith, I began to notice pride rise up as this person and that one received their answers to prayer.
After about five years, the man who had received his healing, had the cancer return, and he died. I was devastated. I had been so excited about his healing, and I couldn’t understand why this had happened. So I went to the Lord.
He impressed upon me something very significant: It’s not your great faith that receives from Me. It’s your faith in a great God. Anything else is pride, and will eventually produce a shipwreck.
Does this sound like two contradictory things? “Have extravagant faith in God, but don’t have faith in your faith.”
Really though, these two concepts are quite compatible – in fact necessary. The key is this: Believe in Jesus extravagantly. Expect to see Him do miracles and to heal people. Know that He is always working in your situations of life, even when things seem to go wrong.
If you would like to have extraordinary faith, but think that you just honestly can’t muster the faith, don’t be discouraged. Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and let the reality of Jesus be burned in your heart. He is looking for committed believers to whom He can show Himself strong.
Also read the book of Acts in the Bible. The stories of the early Christians will encourage you toward more faith. Reading biographies about people of faith will also help build your faith. I recommend reading about Corrie Ten Boom and Smith Wigglesworth.
I want to be an extravagant believer, don’t you?
Music video by Kutless performing “What Faith Can Do”
