Experiencing God builds our faith and is a way God loves to work. In 2001 I led a large group of high school students on a mission trip to Mexico. We built a home for a needy family there, but the most incredible experience was ministering to the couple next door. Our team was able to pray for this family and see their small boy healed of muteness. After prayer, his tongue was loosened like a story from the Bible. With such a move of God, the parents began to weep as they repented of their sins and placed their faith in Jesus. Everyone on that trip was touched by what they saw because they experienced God at work, which built up their faith.
The Israelites Experienced God
The Israelites had experienced God as He fed them mana in the desert for forty years. But as they were to enter the promised land, the walled city of Jericho stood in their way. How would they overcome this city? The Lord devised a unique battle plan that involved the people marching around the city for seven days. The Lord’s plan required faith because He was going to crumble the walls of Jericho through a miracle.
Joshua 6:20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. [1] The Israelites obediently marched around Jericho and saw the walls fall before their eyes because God caused it. Experiencing God’s hand, the Israelites marched over the fallen walls and easily conquered Jericho.
You Can Also Experience God
What is the Lord prompting you to do? Sometimes we think of big things, but often life is made up of small things. The Lord may lead us to give a kind word, help someone with yard work, or bake a plate of cookies. As we participate in where the Lord is leading us, we uniquely experience God.
One year I was a tutor at a local grade school, and as the year unfolded, I began to realize this was a special gift from the Lord. In His mercy, He let me make a difference in the life of a small boy. As you begin the day, ask the Lord to guide and direct you, and don’t be surprised if you experience God in a unique way each day. Psalm 43:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him![2]
To learn how experiencing God builds our faith, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/journey-victory
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.