And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be:  for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

— Deuteronomy 32:20

In the Old Testament God had to deal with a people who had no faith.  They were not born again, not regenerated in spirit, but were still living with an old sin nature.  These people were living by fear rather than by faith.  God could not have a face-to-face relationship with them.  He could not be intimate and close to them.  He would have to sit back and watch them get into a mess; then when they called out to Him, He would come and rescue them.  Many Christians live the same way today–-going along, doing their own thing, until they get in trouble; then they call out to God and He rescues them.  But there is a better way to live in this day, a way to avoid and stay out of messes.  You can now live by faith and be led by the Word and the Spirit of God.  Faith will put you on top and faith will keep you on top.  Faith will remove fear out of your life; it will replace the spirit of fear with the Spirit of faith.  You will no longer wonder where you are headed–-you will know, and believe in your outcome.  We are no longer a people who have no faith.  We are faith people, a just people who can now live daily God’s way!  Faith came to us when the Word came.  Jesus brought faith to mankind so we could live a daily, overcoming lifestyle!

The just shall live by faith.

— Galatians 3:11b

Here we see for a second time in the Scriptures God telling us that the just shall live by faith.  In order for you to “live” by faith, there must be some teaching and training in the “how-to” of faith.  People make a living in the natural as doctors, electricians, plumbers, builders, and many other occupations, but none will be successful without training.  Many go to school for years and spend a lot of money to be able to live and survive in their jobs.  Yet people in the church spend little time to study and to get proficient in their spiritual way of life-–faith.  We need to discover what faith is, how we get it, how we use it, what it will do, and why it is important.  Faith to a believer is a way of life, not a subject or a topic.  Faith is not a way of getting things from God; it is a way of living in and enjoying what God has already given us.  I live by faith!  I raise my children by faith, I work at my job by faith, I deal with my money by faith, I live by faith in my marriage.  I make every decision by faith, I think faith, I talk faith, my life is sustained by faith.  Why?  Because faith is God’s way–-faith is the best way.  Make a decision today to live by faith.  Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can live in the Word and let the Word live in you.  He is the Spirit of faith and desires you to live a life of faith.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

— Romans 10:17

Here is the real key to living by faith:  hearing the Word of God.  Notice, it is not just hearing any Word, but hearing the Word of God.  Words will transport spiritual things into your life.  Words can bring joy and peace, but words can also bring fear and worry.  You must be selective in what you are hearing.  Faith will only come and be increased by hearing the Word of God.  We know we have been given the measure of faith, so faith never goes from us.  Sometimes we think if we hear the Word, faith comes, but if we don’t, faith goes.  No, faith is part of your make-up, part of your divine nature.  One translation says that faith is “awakened” by hearing the Word of God.  The faith that is in you will awaken, will come alive in you, as you sit under the Word.  When you hear God’s Word on healing, the faith for living a healed life will awaken in you.  When you hear the Word of God on prosperity, the faith for a prosperous life will awaken in you.  You dare not go one day with sleeping faith.  In order for your faith to be awake and alive daily, you need to hear, and hear, and hear the Word of God–-daily.  Commit to a life in the Word!  Make the spiritual food of the Word as necessary as the food you eat in the natural.  Fast from words of fear, doubt, and unbelief, and go ahead and overeat God’s Word!

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:  that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 

— Romans 10:8b

Here Paul talks about the word of faith.  The word of faith is the Word of God.  What needs to be done with God’s Word?  It needs to be preached!  As the Word is preached, faith is awakened, or made alive, in a believer–-faith comes by hearing; hearing the Word of God arouses faith (Rom. 10:17).  The preached Word of God will cause you to call on God and to believe in God (Rom. 10:14).  It will enable you to trust in God’s Word with all of your heart.  But how can you believe in God if you have not heard?  How can you hear the Word of God preached without a preacher?  You can’t!  You need to find a Holy-Ghost, on-fire, faith man of God who will preach to you the word of faith–-not the word of fear, the word of doubt, the word of religion–-but the word of faith.  If you are not in a local church body, get in one.  If you’ve been hurt and have left the church, repent and get back in.  If you can’t find one, pray and ask the Holy Ghost to lead you to one.  You will believe what is preached to you; you will put your trust in what is preached to you.  Find someone who is called and anointed by God to preach the word of faith.  Then come with your ears wide open to receive from God’s Word!