I woke up one morning and heard the words, “when faith comes”.  The Scripture that came to mind of course is Romans 10:17 that teaches us that, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.  This tells us that faith IS in the Word.  So if faith IS in the Word, why is it that not everyone’s faith grows strong when they hear the same Word preached at the same time?  I think that is a fair question.  So let’s study and see what insight we can gain about our own faith level.

We can read in several Bible translations in Romans 12:3 that God has given to each of us the measure of faith. Other translations might say “a measure of faith”.  I prefer those that state “the measure of faith” because it denotes that everyone begins with the same amount of faith that comes with every Scripture!  I base this on the fact that God is no respecter of persons, as Peter teaches in Acts 10:34.  So if faith is in the Word and God has given each of us the measure of faith, where is the difference in our faith level?  I believe the strength of that measure of faith in our life is determined by our decisions on how much “hearing and hearing of the Word” we are receiving.  If God has done his part, then it stands to reason that we have a part to do also.  We must be active in making decisions to hear the Word more than just once in a while.   If we only feed our natural body once or twice a week it will not be very strong; so it is with our faith.

Another answer is found in Hebrews 4:2 where we learn that we can hear the Word and if we don’t mix it with faith it will profit us nothing. This word faith must mean something other, or more, than the word faith mentioned in “the measure of faith” in Romans 12:3.  I think the difference in these two Scriptures is understanding that “the measure of faith” mentioned in Romans 12:3 is what comes with hearing the Word…it’s automatic…it just comes when we hear the Word of God.  The “faith” mentioned in Hebrews 4:2 has more to do with our decision to believe it or not to believe it.  God’s part is sending the faith when we hear His Word; our part is to decide whether or not we are going to believe His Word.  When the two parts come together then the desired results of that Word begins to appear in our lives.

So this leads me to think that it is up to us whether or not our faith works.  One aspect of our responsibility is the “obedience of faith” as mentioned in Romans 16:26.  I think it has to do with the “soil” of our heart.  If in the natural a person can plant the same kind of seed in different soils and the harvest is different, then it stands to reason this principle is true in the spirit with the Word.  If we are hearing the Word and not getting the desired result from the Word, then perhaps we should check the condition of our heart to make sure it is good soil for that Word to grow.  We cannot be bitter, resentful, or jealous, unkind or angry, etc., and have the right kind of heart-soil for the Word to grow and produce the power of God in us.  We must be constantly aware of the condition of our heart to keep it in line with the Word of God.  The devil comes in very subtly so we must guard our heart at all times.  We guard our heart by reading the Bible daily, staying in fellowship with God in prayer and keeping His commandments.  Obedience to the Word of God is a key to keeping our heart secure in Him and to guard it from the attacks of the enemy.  The closer we are with God, the earlier we can discern the attacks of the enemy.  We must be conscience of what we are looking at and what we are hearing.  The choice is ours; and the choices are daily and continually.  I’m not saying this to scare of discourage anyone, I’m saying it to help us keep our heart right to receive the faith God sends in His Word when we hear it, so we can live in the abundant life Jesus came to give us.  (John 10:10).

So to answer the question, “When does faith come?”   It always comes according to Romans 10:17 when we hear the Word of God.  The result of that faith He sends is up to you and me.  We must believe and obey His Word to receive the desired results of His Word.

So this week I challenge you to spend more time hearing the Word of God to build your faith and draw closer to Him.