A low balance has a way of filling the whole window. You see the number, the due date, and the gap between them, and nothing else fits in the frame. This is for the week you cannot see past it.
Faith pleases God, and faith moves
In his message Faith In Motion, Pastor Alan built on Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV). Then verse 6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Notice the title. Not faith in a feeling. Faith in motion. The list in Hebrews 11 is a list of people who did something. Noah built an ark where there was no water. Abram left home not knowing where he was going. A mother hid her baby from a king. Each one took a step before the whole road was visible.
Your step is smaller, and it matters just as much. It might be opening the envelope, making the phone call, or writing the list. That is not busywork. When you are afraid, moving toward the problem instead of hiding from it is faith with its shoes on.
Look at Him before you look at the number
Pastor Alan asked how a person activates this kind of faith. His answer was, “You must catch a glimpse… Not of your problem… Not of your pain… Not of your past… But of the MAJESTY OF GOD!”
That does not mean you ignore the bill. It means you decide what gets the biggest seat. Psalm 93:1 says, “The Lord reigns; He is clothed in majesty.” Psalm 8:1 says, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth.” Isaiah 6:1 says he saw the Lord “high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”
Pastor Alan pointed out that kings wore long robes to display their victories, and that Isaiah saw a robe that filled the whole temple. In his words, “MY GOD HAS NEVER LOST A BATTLE!” Say that slowly when the balance feels bigger than you are. The balance is real. It is not the biggest thing in the room.
Bigger than it all
He gave a list and said it plainly. God is “Bigger than your past. Bigger than your today. Bigger than your tomorrow.” Add your own line to the list. Bigger than the overdraft. Bigger than the collection notice. Bigger than the month that does not stretch.
Here is the honest edge of that. Saying God is bigger does not promise the account will fill by Friday. Faith in motion is not a technique for getting money. It is trust that God is who He says He is, while you do the next right thing in front of you.
It does not have to be loud
Some people hear “faith” and think they must feel brave, or sound sure, or smile through it. Pastor Alan said otherwise: “FAITH IN MOTION doesn’t have to be Loud, It is Convinced God can do what He says he can do.” Quiet faith counts. A tired person making one hard call counts.
The woman in Matthew 9 did not make a speech. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His garment, saying to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well” (Matthew 9:21, NKJV). Pastor Alan noted that even the hem of His garment carried power. She had spent what she had and was still in need, and she moved anyway.
What this looks like this week
Pick one motion and make it small enough to finish. Open the one piece of mail you have been avoiding. Call the one creditor. Write out the real numbers on a single sheet. Ask one safe person to sit with you while you do it.
Then pray it out loud, in plain words. Something like this. Lord, I believe You are, and that You reward those who seek You. I am afraid of this number. Open my eyes the way You opened Isaiah’s. Help me take the step in front of me today.
Near the close of his message, Pastor Alan said, “Your Fear gets Silent.” That is the direction faith pushes. Fear may not leave all at once, but when you move, it stops being the loudest voice.
Nobody at Today’s Victory Church is measuring you by your income or your debts. If you would like company for the step, the church meets Sundays at 3pm in White House, Tennessee, and Thursday Bible Study is at 6:30pm.
Scripture in this piece: Hebrews 11:1, 6; Isaiah 6:1; Psalm 93:1; Psalm 8:1; Matthew 9:20-22