Latest / WholeHeart Conversations / Don't Let Unbelief Neutralize You
Transcript
- 0:00Constance Lavonice: In the book of Joshua, chapters 2 and 6, we find the story of Rahab.
- 0:07Constance Lavonice: After Moses' death, Joshua was called to lead the ancient Israelites into the promised land.
- 0:17Constance Lavonice: Joshua sent two men to spy out the land, especially Jericho, and they entered the house of a Canaanite prostitute whose name was Rahab.
- 0:31Constance Lavonice: Rahab hid the men and helped them to escape.
- 0:36Constance Lavonice: And as a result, her life was spared.
- 0:41Constance Lavonice: Because of her belief, her faith, and subsequent actions, Rahab went from being a Canaanite prostitute to being esteemed by God.
- 0:58Constance Lavonice: Rahab was placed in the lineage of Jesus.
- 1:04Constance Lavonice: She was the great great grandmother of King David.
- 1:10Constance Lavonice: What does God want to do in your life if you allow him?
- 1:17Constance Lavonice: Rahab believed.
- 1:21Constance Lavonice: God is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do.
- 1:28Constance Lavonice: Welcome to Whole Heart Conversations.
- 1:32Constance Lavonice: If you're new here, welcome.
- 1:34Constance Lavonice: This is a podcast for women discussing biblical faith, mental health, and whole heart, spirit, soul, and body resilience.
- 1:46Constance Lavonice: I'm your host, Constance Lavonice.
- 1:50Constance Lavonice: The scripture for today is found in the book of James, chapter 2, verses 24 through 26.
- 1:58Constance Lavonice: And if you have your Bible somewhere near, you can turn to that scripture, starting with verse 24.
- 2:08Constance Lavonice: It reads, You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
- 2:19Constance Lavonice: In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received messengers and sent them out by another way?
- 2:33Constance Lavonice: For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
- 2:43Constance Lavonice: Faith is accompanied by works, our actions.
- 2:48Constance Lavonice: We should be able to see the fruit of our faith.
- 2:54Constance Lavonice: Yes, it's true that we are saved by faith alone.
- 3:00Constance Lavonice: However, saving faith demonstrates fruit.
- 3:05Constance Lavonice: Our works authenticate our faith.
- 3:10Constance Lavonice: Rahab believed God and she acted in faith.
- 3:17Constance Lavonice: What are you believing God for?
- 3:20Constance Lavonice: Are you believing God for anything?
- 3:23Constance Lavonice: Second Chronicles chapter 16, verse 9 states, for the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that he may strongly support those whose heart is completely his.
- 3:39Constance Lavonice: God wants to do good for you.
- 3:43Constance Lavonice: God loves you.
- 3:44Constance Lavonice: He wants you to be blessed.
- 3:48Constance Lavonice: He says in Exodus 33, 19, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
- 4:02Constance Lavonice: It doesn't matter if you're rich or famous or smart or live in a big house, it doesn't matter.
- 4:14Constance Lavonice: God says that He will have mercy on whomever he wants to have mercy, like He did with Rahab, who was a prostitute.
- 4:27Constance Lavonice: God loves us, like I said, He wants to bless us.
- 4:33Constance Lavonice: What do you need in your life?
- 4:36Constance Lavonice: And how can God help you?
- 4:39Constance Lavonice: Think about it.
- 4:41Constance Lavonice: Rahab did three things.
- 4:44Constance Lavonice: The first was Rahab believed.
- 4:50Constance Lavonice: She had faith.
- 4:52Constance Lavonice: Faith is the opposite of fear and doubt and unbelief.
- 4:59Constance Lavonice: Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
- 5:06Constance Lavonice: We have to hear the word of God.
- 5:10Constance Lavonice: And like I said last week in my podcast, we all have the measure of faith.
- 5:17Constance Lavonice: So we all have the same amount of faith.
- 5:20Constance Lavonice: And how do we cultivate that?
- 5:25Constance Lavonice: Through God's word.
- 5:27Constance Lavonice: James chapter 4, verse 8 says that when you draw near to God, he draws near to you.
- 5:37Constance Lavonice: So seek God, get in his word, listen to his word, pray his word, meditate on the word.
- 5:47Constance Lavonice: And if you don't know where to start, I didn't know where to start when I was a new Christian, but some of the books that I like is John.
- 5:59Constance Lavonice: Another is Hebrews, or you can just start in Genesis.
- 6:06Constance Lavonice: Start with in the beginning, God.
- 6:10Constance Lavonice: Not only did she believe, have faith, but her faith produced works.
- 6:35Constance Lavonice: Rahab believed God and she acted in faith.
- 6:41Constance Lavonice: Rahab made a decision.
- 6:44Constance Lavonice: She was intentional.
- 6:46Constance Lavonice: She didn't turn away the men.
- 6:49Constance Lavonice: She hid the men.
- 6:51Constance Lavonice: She helped them to escape.
- 6:54Constance Lavonice: Our actions are an indicator of our spiritual condition.
- 7:01Constance Lavonice: We move in the direction of our faith.
- 7:06Constance Lavonice: Are you in need of housing?
- 7:11Constance Lavonice: Then look at houses.
- 7:12Constance Lavonice: Look at apartment.
- 7:15Constance Lavonice: Look at housing.
- 7:18Constance Lavonice: Notice what's there.
- 7:20Constance Lavonice: Are you in need of community?
- 7:24Constance Lavonice: Even though we live in a community, there are many people who don't have community.
- 7:32Constance Lavonice: Well, think about the things that you're interested in, things that you enjoy.
- 7:39Constance Lavonice: Walking, gardening, exercise, travel, cooking, going to the theater.
- 7:47Constance Lavonice: There's so many communities of people who enjoy the same things, and they're out there to be discovered.
- 7:57Constance Lavonice: You can ask a co-worker if you're working.
- 8:02Constance Lavonice: Sometimes you have someone right there at work who need an exercise buddy or who needs someone to go walking with them.
- 8:13Constance Lavonice: And then there's also the internet.
- 8:17Constance Lavonice: You can look online for the different communities of people who share the same interest.
- 8:28Constance Lavonice: So now more than ever, you can find your tribe.
- 8:34Constance Lavonice: What about friends?
- 8:37Constance Lavonice: There are so many women who wish they had a close friendship.
- 8:44Constance Lavonice: If you want to have a friend, then show yourself friendly.
- 8:50Constance Lavonice: Speak to someone, say hello, use discernment, watch their behaviors, look for the fruit.
- 9:03Constance Lavonice: And you might say, trust.
- 9:06Constance Lavonice: You have difficulties trusting people.
- 9:10Constance Lavonice: Well, that's understandable.
- 9:12Constance Lavonice: However, our trust should be placed in the Lord.
- 9:19Constance Lavonice: So we trust God because people can and people will disappoint you.
- 9:30Constance Lavonice: But our trust is not in the person.
- 9:34Constance Lavonice: Our trust is that in God we'll be okay.
- 9:42Constance Lavonice: He'll show us, he'll guide us, we have a helper, we have the spirit of wisdom within us.
- 9:52Constance Lavonice: And God will reveal to us anything that we need to know so we can trust God.
- 10:03Constance Lavonice: What about health?
- 10:06Constance Lavonice: Are you in need of better health?
- 10:09Constance Lavonice: Then stop identifying with sickness.
- 10:13Constance Lavonice: I hear the word my, my arthritis, my back pain, my whatever it is.
- 10:26Constance Lavonice: Don't allow your life to revolve around a health condition, being known by it.
- 10:35Constance Lavonice: God wants more for your life.
- 10:38Constance Lavonice: And the third thing that Rahab did was Rahab spoke.
- 10:46Constance Lavonice: She professed, openly declared her faith belief.
- 10:53Constance Lavonice: She spoke it.
- 10:55Constance Lavonice: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us.
- 11:04Constance Lavonice: For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth below.
- 11:11Constance Lavonice: That's in Joshua chapter two, verses nine and eleven.
- 11:18Constance Lavonice: Words are an act of faith.
- 11:22Constance Lavonice: What you speak is a reflection of your heart, your beliefs.
- 11:29Constance Lavonice: For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.
- 11:34Constance Lavonice: Matthew 12, 34.
- 11:37Constance Lavonice: Jesus says that truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart, but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
- 11:57Constance Lavonice: What we believe affects our behavior and is revealed in our speech.
- 12:05Constance Lavonice: And how we speak is a reflection of our heart.
- 12:11Constance Lavonice: What does God want to do in your life if you allow Him?
- 12:18Constance Lavonice: First, believe we all have the measure of faith.
- 12:25Constance Lavonice: So cultivate it by listening, hearing, reading, meditating in the Word of God.
- 12:33Constance Lavonice: Next, move in the direction of your faith through your actions.
- 12:40Constance Lavonice: Make a decision to believe God and act accordingly.
- 12:46Constance Lavonice: And then finally speak.
- 12:49Constance Lavonice: Open your mouth and declare the word of God.
- 12:54Constance Lavonice: Don't let unbelief neutralize you.
- 12:59Constance Lavonice: In Heavenly Father, your word tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything to make our request known.
- 13:10Constance Lavonice: I pray for each woman listening to this podcast that you will draw close and reveal yourself to her, speak to her heart and allow her to sense your presence.
- 13:25Constance Lavonice: Meet her at her point of need and reveal the truth of your word so that she will walk in it.
- 13:37Constance Lavonice: In Jesus' name, amen.