Cultivating the Plant of Faith

[Daily Devotional]

Cultivating the Plant of Faith

     And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. Luke 17:5.  

     Faith should be cultivated. If it has become weak it is like a sickly
plant that should be placed in the sunshine and carefully watered and
tended. The Lord would have every one who has had light and evidence cherish
that light and walk in its brightness. God has blessed us with reasoning
powers so that we may trace from cause to effect. If we would have light we
must come to the light. We must individually lay hold on the hope set before
us in the gospel. . . . How foolish it would be to go into a cellar, and
mourn because we were in the dark. If we want light we must come up into a
higher room. It is our privilege to come into the light, to come into the
presence of God. . . .  

     We should grow daily in faith in order that we may grow up to the full
measure of the spiritual stature in Christ Jesus. We should believe that God
will answer our prayers, and not trust to feeling. We should say, My gloomy
feelings are no evidence that God has not heard me. I do not want to give up
on account of these sad emotions, for "faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). The rainbow of
promise encircles the throne of God. I come to the throne, pointing to the
sign of God's faithfulness, and cherish the faith that works by love and
purifies the soul.  

     We are not to believe because we feel or see that God hears us. We are
to trust to the promise of God. We are to go about our business believing
that God will do just what He has said He would do, and that the blessings
we have prayed for will come to us when we most need them. Every petition
enters into the heart of God when we come believing. We have not faith
enough. We should look upon our heavenly Father as more willing to help us
than an earthly parent is to help his child. Why not trust Him?  

     "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32).  

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