Read Online Becoming a Man of Unwavering Faith by John Osteen - Free Book Online
Authors: John Osteen
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can allow trials to shake your confidence in God or you can trust God. Doubt and fear come when you believe the circumstances rather than God.
God says of Abraham: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God” (Romans 4:20). He grew strong in faith, giving praise to God. You see, he praised God before he ever saw Isaac.
Sarah did not conceive Isaac until she was ninety years old and Abraham was ninety-nine—twenty-four years after God had spoken the promise.
Yet Abraham just looked up to heaven and said, “Saturday’s coming! Saturday’s coming!” He praised God and grew strong in faith as he looked at the Word of God and praised God that His Word is truth! He had an unwavering confidence in God.
In Joshua 6, we read the story of Joshua marching around the walls of the city of Jericho. They went around praising God and shouted
before
the walls fell down.
Praise is faith at work. Between Monday and Saturday we should praise God, because the answer is on the way!
In 2 Chronicles 20:21–22, King Jehoshaphat heardthat a vast army of Moabites and Ammonites had come against Judah to battle. King Jehoshaphat was so overwhelmed by the news, he began to seek the Lord, proclaimed a fast, called the people together to seek the Lord and ask for His help. He reminded God of His promise to hear them when they cried to Him in a time of affliction and He would hear and save them. As a result, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the prophet Jahaziel who proclaimed, “The Lord says to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Based upon that Word from God, the king sent singers out before the army, saying, “Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever,” and the opposing armies turned on each other and destroyed one another! The battle was won miraculously because they began to praise the Lord!
Praise was their secret weapon.
Perhaps you say, “Jesus certainly would not have to praise God before a manifestation of a promise of God.” If you think that, you need to read the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11). In that situation, when Jesus came to Bethany, they told Him all about Lazarus’ death. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him,‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept” (John 11:33–35).
Faith is not an emotion. Faith is believing and acting on a legal contract based on God’s Word.
Jesus was so merciful and compassionate. The Jews mocked Him, thinking wrongly that He wept for sorrow and despair. Some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man should from dying?” (v. 37). Jesus gave a groan in Himself. He came to the grave, which was a cave with a stone in front of it. He told them to take away the stone, even though Lazarus had been dead for four days.
In verse 40, Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” They then took away the stone, and Jesus lifted His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have [past tense] heard Me.” Lazarus was still dead, but Jesus was saying, “Father, I thank You that he is alive. I thank You that he is out of the grave.” Jesus praised God
before
Lazarus was raised from the dead.
Actually, Jesus was saying, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I have already received the answer to My prayer. I already see Lazarus raised. I thank You that You
have
heard Me.” Jesus praised the Father when there was no evidence of life. It is not that you are
going
to be victorious; you
are
victorious.
You must be able to stand in the midst of all the evidence of deadness and say, “Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I am healed. I am delivered. I have the desires of my
God says of Abraham: “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God” (Romans 4:20). He grew strong in faith, giving praise to God. You see, he praised God before he ever saw Isaac.
Sarah did not conceive Isaac until she was ninety years old and Abraham was ninety-nine—twenty-four years after God had spoken the promise.
Yet Abraham just looked up to heaven and said, “Saturday’s coming! Saturday’s coming!” He praised God and grew strong in faith as he looked at the Word of God and praised God that His Word is truth! He had an unwavering confidence in God.
In Joshua 6, we read the story of Joshua marching around the walls of the city of Jericho. They went around praising God and shouted
before
the walls fell down.
Praise is faith at work. Between Monday and Saturday we should praise God, because the answer is on the way!
In 2 Chronicles 20:21–22, King Jehoshaphat heardthat a vast army of Moabites and Ammonites had come against Judah to battle. King Jehoshaphat was so overwhelmed by the news, he began to seek the Lord, proclaimed a fast, called the people together to seek the Lord and ask for His help. He reminded God of His promise to hear them when they cried to Him in a time of affliction and He would hear and save them. As a result, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the prophet Jahaziel who proclaimed, “The Lord says to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Based upon that Word from God, the king sent singers out before the army, saying, “Praise the Lord; for His mercy endures forever,” and the opposing armies turned on each other and destroyed one another! The battle was won miraculously because they began to praise the Lord!
Praise was their secret weapon.
Perhaps you say, “Jesus certainly would not have to praise God before a manifestation of a promise of God.” If you think that, you need to read the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead (John 11). In that situation, when Jesus came to Bethany, they told Him all about Lazarus’ death. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him,‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept” (John 11:33–35).
Faith is not an emotion. Faith is believing and acting on a legal contract based on God’s Word.
Jesus was so merciful and compassionate. The Jews mocked Him, thinking wrongly that He wept for sorrow and despair. Some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man should from dying?” (v. 37). Jesus gave a groan in Himself. He came to the grave, which was a cave with a stone in front of it. He told them to take away the stone, even though Lazarus had been dead for four days.
In verse 40, Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” They then took away the stone, and Jesus lifted His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have [past tense] heard Me.” Lazarus was still dead, but Jesus was saying, “Father, I thank You that he is alive. I thank You that he is out of the grave.” Jesus praised God
before
Lazarus was raised from the dead.
Actually, Jesus was saying, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I have already received the answer to My prayer. I already see Lazarus raised. I thank You that You
have
heard Me.” Jesus praised the Father when there was no evidence of life. It is not that you are
going
to be victorious; you
are
victorious.
You must be able to stand in the midst of all the evidence of deadness and say, “Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I am healed. I am delivered. I have the desires of my
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