Torah Road

My wife and I made a commitment to get in shape. So, we decided to walk, run, lift weights, and regulate our diet. Originally, the plan was to run 3 to 4 days a week, some weeks I ran 5 days. I did that for a few months and it was great, then I missed a week. I thought it was ok, it was just one week. Then before long 4 weeks had passed without any running. Four Weeks! I had missed 4 weeks of running and lifting weights. I decided that wasn’t for me. Yesterday, we went to the gym. Now I am pleased to say I had not gained one pound, but the plan was to lose weight. Even though I wasn’t running, I did maintain my diet changes. That was very helpful.

Anyway, my wife and I get to the gym ready and in the zone! We were separated for a few minutes, and she had started exercising, without me! She was on the treadmill. I jumped right on the treadmill next to her and started my workout. We walked and/or ran for over a mile each on our first day back after a month hiatus. I was so pumped, back in the gym, working on our goals. But then something happened. Boy did I hurt! I didn’t tear a muscle or anything but I had forgotten a very important part of my exercise routine… my warm up exercises. I was having muscle cramps but I’m a tough guy. You won’t see me cry.

Just like my body needed to warm up, so does our faith. A lot of people think they can move from a snail-paced faithless existence to full speed ahead. They believe they can take a break from faith then just be like Superman, move mountains and leap over tall buildings. A new believer can do that jump in and move like my wife did, other people like myself need to warm up.

These are a few steps simple steps to make the change from living life as a faithless believer to moving in faith. The first part of my physical warm-up to exercising started before I stepped foot back in the gym, it is my mindset.

• You must see yourself taking the first steps needed to grow your faith in God. What that means is if you can’t see yourself ever trusting in God and depending on Him, the likeliness of spontaneous faith isn’t likely. It’s not likely because you cannot become victorious if you’re focused on everything but the task. Looking at your failures and the failures of other people doesn’t produce Victorious People of Faith. Saying because Mr. Mister doubted God you could never be a person of faith. Don’t look at failure as a standard of life. It’s not. Read Joshua 7:7 Then read it in context, Joshua 7-8. Joshua and Israel won!
• Confess your sin. Don’t boast about your sin or reminisce on those ‘good old days of sin.’ Because the only thing sin produces is death. Acknowledge it. No one thinks you are perfect, why should you? “I sinned against you God and I sinned against myself. I didn’t trust in your word or your ability to deliver me from my past situations. And I am sorry! I confess You are GOD and I am not. Please forgive me. Please help me trust in you.” Then make restitution! And no, this is not a new take on the sinner’s prayer. Just a simple example. Nehemiah 9:2, Psalm 32:5, James 5:16
• Find Scriptures to rehearse and meditate on that show the Power of God and exemplify our need for dependency on Him. For example, things like Exodus 15:1-15, Psalm 18, and Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God!” Following people who don’t have faith in God is not healthy. Examining those who have changed can be a positive role model. King Manasseh was a made that had no faith in God but he changed. It was after he went into captivity that he humbled himself and prayed. See 2 Chronicles 33:1-16. Don’t be like ‘the man the king leaned on’ in 2 Kings 7:1-2, & 17. He believed too late. Please meditate on godly victories. See yourself as being one of the one’s God hears and answers.
  No one trusts in God because of their own strength or power. To trust in the invisible God takes an act of God. If we let Him, He will make us victorious.

A word to the wise. People are important to our walk with God we all learn at different rates and in few different ways. We must always compare what we believe to the Word of God. Moses asked Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?” Exodus 32:21 Jesus tells us in John 5:39 to “Search the scriptures…” We must always compare our actions and  thoughts to the Word of God. The Scriptures were and still all what is labeled as the Old Testament. Even the writers of the New Testament refer to thier writngs as letters and Only refer to the Scritpites to mean the Tanakh (Old Testament).

What are the steps you have taken to increase your faith, ‘Get In The Zone!’ and stress yourself out of the favor of God?