The gospel is being spread almost all over the world, and as prophesied, people are assembling and coming to Zion. Even though the world is filled with disasters, accidents, and many hardships, we live in the grace of God. God has promised us that as His sons and daughters, we will enjoy eternal life and blessings in the heavenly kingdom, and also promised that He will alwasy protect us on this earth, too. We are truly blessed since we have faith and the hope for heaven.
Having faith makes us happy. Faith is the confidence of what we hope for (Heb 11:1–2). Even things that we have not yet seen will be fulfilled if we believe they will be fulfilled as our Father has said. The forefathers of faith received blessings through deeds coming from their absolute faith in the promises of God.
Faith involves taking action. By faith, Noah prepared an ark (Heb 11:7). God commanded him to build an ark because He would soon send a flood to cover the earth. At that time, no one had seen heavy rain, as crops were able to grow with just dew. Nevertheless, Noah immediately began to build the ark in obedience to God’s words. By believing and acting on the words of God Almighty, he saved himself and his family and became an heir of righteousness that comes by faith.
Abraham, too, obeyed immediately when God said, “Go to the land I will show you” (Ge 12:1–3; Heb 11:8–12). During a time when tribes lived communal lives for safety, traveling posed many dangers, but Abraham believed that God would help him since He commanded him to go. As a result, Abraham prospered wherever he went and became the father of faith. Even when Sarah was too old to have children, she bore Isaac, believing God’s promise to give her a son. When God ordered Abraham to offer his precious son as a sacrifice, Abraham thought, ‘God, who gives and takes away, will also raise the dead,’ and obeyed God’s words. Because Abraham acted according to God’s words in everything, God was pleased, spared Isaac, and blessed him even more.
Believing in God and acting according to His words is what pleases Him. If we have faith, God will bless us and fulfill everything. When we believe and act upon His words, astonishing gospel works take place in the world, don’t they? Faith brings miracles. When God told Moses to stretch out his staff and part the Red Sea, Moses did so with full faith, and the sea was divided. Such miraculous works come from faith.
On a day like a blazing furnace, for those who revere the name of God, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays (Mal 4:1–2; 2 Pe 3:6–13). When such a day comes, miracles of faith will occur for God’s people who have received the seal of the Passover—who believe God’s words and put them into practice. Our Father has said that when great disasters come, we need great faith, and when we have great faith, great miracles will occur. If we believe in God’s words, we should swiftly lead even one more soul to God’s side before that day arrives.
We must also believe that God rewards us (Heb 11:6). Moses regarded suffering for the sake of God’s people and receiving heavenly rewards as of greater value than the fleeting pleasures of sin in Pharaoh’s palace. As a result, he became the leader of Israel and a great prophet (Heb 11:24–26). Just as the forefathers succeeded through faith and received great blessings, if we believe God’s words and act on them, we will become the royal priesthood in the kingdom of heaven. People exert all their effort for earthly glory, which is temporal, but isn’t the glory of heaven eternal? Let us act with faith to partake in that glory.
Only when we believe in God’s words can we put them into practice. The Bible records many miraculous works that those with faith performed in God’s power. This year, let us work for the gospel with faith and complete the world evangelism. Pray to God, and believe that God will fulfill what He promises. May all of our Zion members believe in God’s words and act promptly to please Him.
