Knowing in your heart that what God has promised, He will do, even when it doesn’t look like it will happen.

Eph.2:8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast.

It’s important to note that we are not saved by faith, but by grace. Grace is God’s giving-ness in which He gives to us undeserving people. Faith is the pipeline by which we receive God’s grace. And even faith is given to us by God, it doesn’t come naturally for a person to trust God.

It is a common idea that if we are "just trusting God", then we must be sitting on the sofa, doing nothing else. We think that if we do any actual work ourselves, that that must not be trusting God.

If we trust God, then we’ll be seeing a change in our lives. And if God leads us to do something about a situation, then we’ll obey.

(Mark 11:22-24 KJV) And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. {23} For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. {24} Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Some people teach that faith is some kind of mysterious force that does miraculous things. It’s like mind over matter, that you could bend bars if you have faith. Others teach that there is spiritual power inside you, and faith unlocks that power.

(Mark 5:25-34 KJV) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, {26} And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, {27} When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. {28} For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. {29} And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. {30} And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? {31} And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? {32} And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. {33} But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. {34} And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Sometimes today we too need a point of contact to release our faith. "If I can just have the group lay hands on me...I know that when the elders pray for me...I know that when the oil touches my head..."

But God isn’t limited to our faith. He will work on behalf of even those who have doubts.

Jesus had a friend, Lazarus, who died. (John 11)

(John 11:21-44 KJV) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. {22} But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. {23} Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. {24} Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. {25} Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: {26} And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? {27} She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. {28} And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. {29} As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. {30} Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. {31} The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. {32} Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. {33} When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, {34} And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. {35} Jesus wept. {36} Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! {37} And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? {38} Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. {39} Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. {40} Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? {41} Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. {42} And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. {43} And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. {44} And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Eph.2:8b ...and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God...

John 20:30,31 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Rom.10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Have you ever had a close friend, and then not having seen them for a long time, you begin to build up false images of them in your mind, either good of bad? Sometimes when a husband and wife don’t spend much time communicating they can find little things build up into major disagreements. But when you get back with that person, and begin to talk and share with them, you find the walls and barriers go down as you get re-acquainted with them.

(James 2:22 KJV) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

(Mark 9:23 KJV) Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

(Mark 11:21-24 KJV) And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. {22} And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. {23} For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. {24} Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

God gives to all of us faith. That’s how we are saved. But this gift of faith is an ability beyond that to trust God through times when most people fail. To trust God for a tremendous deliverance, to trust God for the miraculous, for the impossible.

(Acts 3:1-8 KJV) Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. {2} And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; {3} Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. {4} And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. {5} And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. {6} Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. {7} And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. {8} And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

(Acts 27:19-25 KJV) And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. {20} And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. {21} But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. {22} And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. {23} For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, {24} Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. {25} Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

As in telling someone that God is going to heal them when God hasn’t told you that He will. Some people teach that God heals everyone all the time and so they will tell people that God will heal them. The problem is that people can be misled to trust in something that doesn’t come to pass and then they get disillusioned in trusting the Lord altogether.

During Jeremiah’s time, there was a guy who called himself a prophet, named Hanani, and he claimed to have a word from God telling the people that the Babylonians would soon let the captives go, and then go away themselves.