The Labor of Faith

Hebrews 11:33

“Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,”

We talk much about the importance of living by faith, and that is certainly worthy of talking about. We also talk much about stepping out by faith, and to be honest with you, one of the great reasons we don't see God doing much in our day is because people are unwilling to step out by faith. When reading Hebrews 11, we see a chapter filled with saints who lived by faith and attempted great feats by faith. However, when you look at what it took for them to see their faith become a reality, you will often see that it never happened without them laboring for God. It was their labor by faith for God that moved God to allow them to see great feats of faith in their lives and ministries.

Nobody has ever seen great feats of faith without labor. When I look at the great churches of the past, every one of them were filled with people who attempted great things by faith, but they also labored to see that vision of faith become a reality. When I look at the ministries of men like Dallas Billington, Jack Hyles, and Lee Robertson, I see their churches were filled with people who labored with them. It is no wonder that God used these men widely because, not only did they have a vision of faith and labored to see that faith become a real reality, but their people also had the same vision of faith and labored much in the ministry to see their vision of faith become a reality.

In the verse above, you will notice several things that God points out about these people whom He shows are champions of faith. What you will notice about these people is that they subdued, obtained, and stopped what hindered them. Each one of these acts of faith were done with labor. You don't subdue a kingdom without laboring and fighting to subdue it. You don't obtain promises without putting in the labor to make them a reality.

One of the great reasons people don't see their faith become a reality is because they are unwilling to labor to see it happen. The miracles of God are never done without people working and attempting the impossible. The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 would not have happened had the disciples not divided the people and distributed the bread and the fish. Before God ever performs a miracle in someone's life, He always requires them to show their act of faith by doing something.

My friend, do you want to see miracles of faith happen in your life? If you do, there are two things you must do. First, you must get a vision of faith. Having a vision of faith is having a vision of doing the impossible. Stop just living for the day and plan feats of faith for the future. We often talk about having a 20 or 30-year plan for a church in its buildings, but why not get a 20 or 30-year plan for God to do some miraculous things through your life? God will never give you miracles of faith unless you have a vision for faith works in your life.

Second, you must work hard to see your faith become reality. Stop waiting for God to give it to you and start working towards it. Go as far as you can in your own power, and you will find that God will work a miracle of faith in your life; however, you must labor much towards seeing your faith vision before it becomes a reality.