Remaining Sure and Certain

(Isaiah 26:3 KJV)  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”.  We have been looking at Isaiah 26:3 for a while now and if you know me, you know I won’t move until the Holy Spirit leads me to move.  I love the way God can provide levels and levels of revelation on any given Word.  You can read a chapter of the Bible in five minutes, but you can also study one verse for five months.  That’s how much revelation is packed in the Word of God.

So why keeping driving home the fact that we must keep our eyes on God?  Why keep teaching on the perfect peace available to the believer?  Why would God keep reiterating the trust factor?  I’ll tell you why, because we need it.  We are called and commanded to live by faith.  God makes plans for us and He then delivers on those plans by His unearned grace.  

We can’t do anything to earn or deserve grace.  But what we MUST do is access God’s grace with our faith.  This is where where Isaiah 26:3 comes in.  Allow me to explain.  The writer of Hebrews said, “Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists” (Heb 11:1 ESV).  Faith comes down to simply being sure and certain.  You must be sure God said what He said and certain He will deliver on HIs promise, even when you cannot validate the promise with your senses.  You must be sure and certain even when the promise makes no sense at all.  And you must be sure and certain until you see in your hands what you have already received in your heart.  This is why you must keep your eyes fixed and focused on God.  This is why you need His peace in order to live by faith successfully.  And when it’s all said and done, this is why you must trust God even when you don’t know what He’s doing.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  While God does all He does for you by grace, you are not called to live by grace, you are called to live by faith.  

2.  Lazy believers think they can sit back and wait on the grace of God for everything.  No, God requires you to use your faith to access His grace.  Grace is not a license for laziness.

3.  Faith boils down to something you say (words), something you do (actions) or something you sow (seed), because of something God said.

4.  You must develop your faith to the point where you believe every Word from God, no matter how outlandish, irrational or unreasonable it seems.  Remember, God is spiritual, not sensual, therefore He does not need to make sense.

5.  God may have told you “what”, but He probably did not tell you “when”.  Therefore, you must remain in-faith until heaven’s will is manifested in the earth.

6.  While you are waiting on God you will feel pressure from this world to give up your hope.  Faith is about being sure and certain.  Anyone can be sure and certain for a day or a week.  But we all feel pressure when days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and sometimes months into years.  How long can you remain sure and certain?

7.  If you keep your eyes on God while you wait, He will give you peace and you will be able to maintain your faith.

I have a lot more to say about this.  I will stop here for today.

Closing Confession:   Father, this is a season of refined focus for me.  You made plans for me before the world began.  You made those plans by Your unearned and amazing grace.  You now reveal those plans to me and You require me to live by faith in order to access and experience them.  I do!  I live by faith.  I live by every Word You release to me.  I am not moved by what I see in the natural.  I am only moved by Your Words and what I see in the spirit.  I speak words of faith.  I performs actions of faith.  I sow financial seeds of faith.  I LIVE my life by faith and I refuse to allow any pressure from this world to cause me to quit.  I keep my eyes stayed on You and You keep me in perfect peace, because I trust You!  I declare this by faith!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.