Q. My question is on faith. I know that we are all given a measure of faith, but how does one aquire or develop the kind that moves mountains. I have a friend that is terminally ill and dying. She has great faith in the Lord. In a recent conversation that we had she said "can you imagine meeting Jesus how wonderful it will be". There was such excitement in her spirit. She has asked God to take her at a time when her family can move forward with their lives and not grieve for too long. I have such respect and admiration for her faith and the relationship she has with Him.
She has said that her faith is a simple one. She trusts her life to God. In many of our conversations over the years she has shared her faith and the faithfulness of the Lord in her life.
How do you reach that kind of faith? Is it something we have to work at or are we given only a certain amount. I am not looking to move mountains, but would like the kind that is unshakable and unwaivering. I trust The Lord in my life and believe in OSAS and I know that the Lord's hand is over my life, but there are times that I question my faith in certain area's is that normal in our walk?
A. I think there are two ways to get the kind of faith you describe. First, extra-ordinary faith is listed among the Spiritual gifts in 1 Cor. 12:9. This is not the faith to believe that we all receive (Ephes. 2:8-9) but a faith that surpasses our understanding. Your friend might have received this gift of supernatural faith. Everyone can pray for it (1 Cor. 12:31) and the Holy Spirit distributes it as He sees fit for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:7)
The other way is to give your life totally to God, not making a single decision on your own but submitting everything to Him, accepting only that which He provides, and doing only that which He directs. In living that way you'll develop such a strong faith in God that nothing will be able to shake you. Paul mentioned this in Romans 12:2. In doing this we'll find that we'll always have faith sufficient for whatever situation we encounter. Your friend might not have been able to predict that she'd have the faith required for her current situation. But having habitually exercised her faith, she has found it to be more than adequate for the task at hand.
A final thought. The more we understand about the destiny that awaits us, the easier it is to overcome the challenges we might face in getting there. It sounds like your friend has also combined zeal with knowledge. (Romans 5:1-5 & 11:17)
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