In my skinner youth, I enjoyed the occasional, sweat-breaking workout. As I’ve grown older and more in need of physical activity, however, I have developed a true distaste for movement. Good health demands that I take the leap, or at least get up from my desk periodically, even if it isn’t something I’m eager to do. My spiritual well-being demands some exercises of its own. I must keep an active faith if I am to have spiritual fitness. Faith is the foundational principle on which our walk with God begins and through which we grow in relationship with Him. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word. John 1:14 says that the Word was made flesh and lived among us. And Galatians 3:2 says that we receive the Holy Ghost by the hearing of faith. Therefore, we have access to the Living Word through the written Word. When our hearts are tuned in to Scripture, and we give heed to it, then our faith grows. Just like building muscle comes with exercise, faith is strengthened through use. To exercise faith requires exercising the Word.
The first way we exercise our faith in the Word is by reading and meditating on it. For the Word to work in our lives, it must be permitted into our hearts. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.” Like a fitness club membership, good tennis shoes, or a stack of workout DVD’s, the Word becomes ready for use when we consistently read and meditate on it.
As we read the Word, we believe what it says. This is a moment of breathing deep and moving forward. It’s pulling out what we’ve read and labeling it truth even when the proof isn’t visible, like clicking off the alarm clock and heading to the gym while the fat is jiggling, the brain is foggy, and the voices of discouragement say it’s not worth it. Belief in the Word takes what is said, based on Who said it, and stays steadfast and expectant.
We submit to its authority. Just as exercise sometimes tears the muscles, the Word must be allowed to make alterations to our lives. Sometimes that requires rending, but we keep on training, submitting to the authority of the Word in order to be built up by its precepts.
We apply it to our lives. We take what God says and we order our lives according to what is written. As we do, we begin to noticeably shape up.
We trust its power. As the Word is active in us, we can use it to defeat the influence of the enemy by replacing his lies with truth. Satan’s lie that I will fail, for example, can be rooted out with the truth that I am more than a conqueror in Jesus. The result is steadfast courage instead of discouragement and ineffectiveness. Weight comes off when life-giving Scripture replaces deception.
We pray it, gaining confidence and boldness from the knowledge that Scripture puts powerful, effective Words in my mouth. Through prayer, I’m strength-training, adding definition to the lean machine I’m becoming in Christ.
As I am leaning into the Word, I receive from it whatever I need. If I’m sick, I draw healing from its pages. If I’m feeling loss, I receive its comfort. Psalm 130: 5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope.” In these moments, I rest in the Word. I cool down, wipe the sweat, and sit still.
The process repeats, and as I exercise the Word that has been given to me in the pages of the Bible, my faith grows in the Word who inspired its writing. I prove truth, and The Way the Truth and the Life proves Himself to me.
Tip/Tidbit: Try stretching yourself by getting in the Word today.
I enjoy looking up the meaning of the words in a verse, then summarizing the verse using those definitions. Here's today's verse:
Faith—holy fervor, conviction of the truth, belief in respect to man’s relationship with God. From the root word meaning to be persuaded, to listen to, yield to, comply with, to trust and have confidence in.
Cometh—out of, from, by, away from
Hearing—sense of hearing, the thing heard, hearsay/report/instruction.
Word of God—that which has been uttered by the living voice
Our holy fervor, conviction of truth, our relational belief in God, our confidence in him is out of and by our ability to hear and is from the instruction that the living voice of God has uttered.
The first way we exercise our faith in the Word is by reading and meditating on it. For the Word to work in our lives, it must be permitted into our hearts. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.” Like a fitness club membership, good tennis shoes, or a stack of workout DVD’s, the Word becomes ready for use when we consistently read and meditate on it.
As we read the Word, we believe what it says. This is a moment of breathing deep and moving forward. It’s pulling out what we’ve read and labeling it truth even when the proof isn’t visible, like clicking off the alarm clock and heading to the gym while the fat is jiggling, the brain is foggy, and the voices of discouragement say it’s not worth it. Belief in the Word takes what is said, based on Who said it, and stays steadfast and expectant.
We submit to its authority. Just as exercise sometimes tears the muscles, the Word must be allowed to make alterations to our lives. Sometimes that requires rending, but we keep on training, submitting to the authority of the Word in order to be built up by its precepts.
We apply it to our lives. We take what God says and we order our lives according to what is written. As we do, we begin to noticeably shape up.
We trust its power. As the Word is active in us, we can use it to defeat the influence of the enemy by replacing his lies with truth. Satan’s lie that I will fail, for example, can be rooted out with the truth that I am more than a conqueror in Jesus. The result is steadfast courage instead of discouragement and ineffectiveness. Weight comes off when life-giving Scripture replaces deception.
We pray it, gaining confidence and boldness from the knowledge that Scripture puts powerful, effective Words in my mouth. Through prayer, I’m strength-training, adding definition to the lean machine I’m becoming in Christ.
As I am leaning into the Word, I receive from it whatever I need. If I’m sick, I draw healing from its pages. If I’m feeling loss, I receive its comfort. Psalm 130: 5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his Word do I hope.” In these moments, I rest in the Word. I cool down, wipe the sweat, and sit still.
The process repeats, and as I exercise the Word that has been given to me in the pages of the Bible, my faith grows in the Word who inspired its writing. I prove truth, and The Way the Truth and the Life proves Himself to me.
Tip/Tidbit: Try stretching yourself by getting in the Word today.
I enjoy looking up the meaning of the words in a verse, then summarizing the verse using those definitions. Here's today's verse:
Faith—holy fervor, conviction of the truth, belief in respect to man’s relationship with God. From the root word meaning to be persuaded, to listen to, yield to, comply with, to trust and have confidence in.
Cometh—out of, from, by, away from
Hearing—sense of hearing, the thing heard, hearsay/report/instruction.
Word of God—that which has been uttered by the living voice
Our holy fervor, conviction of truth, our relational belief in God, our confidence in him is out of and by our ability to hear and is from the instruction that the living voice of God has uttered.
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