What You Do Reveals What You Believe
Memory verse: Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
When God speaks to a person, revealing His plans and purpose, it will always cause a crisis of belief. Let’s review the four parts of a Crisis of Belief:
An encounter with God requires faith
Encounters with God are God-sized
What you do reveals what you believe
True faith requires action.
In 1 Samuel 16:12-13 God chose David and had Samuel anoint him to become the next king over Israel. In 1 Samuel 17 God brought David into the middle of His activity. While Saul was still the king, the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. Still a young boy, David was sent by his father to visit his brothers in the army. When David arrived,
Goliath, a giant soldier nine feet tall, challenged Israel to send one man to fight him. The losing nation would become the slaves of the winner. Israel’s army was terrified. David asked in amazement, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (v. 26). David faced a crisis of belief. He may have realized that God had brought him to the battlefield and had prepared him for this assignment.
David said he would fight this giant. He stated his belief: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (v. 37). David refused to take the normal weapons of war. Instead, he chose a sling and five smooth stones. He said to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (w. 45-47). David killed Goliath, and Israel went on to victory.
David’s statements indicate he believed God was the living God and a Deliverer. He said God was almighty and would defend Israel’s armies. David’s actions verified that he really believed these things about God. Many thought David was a foolish young boy, and even Goliath laughed at him. However, God delivered the Israelites. He gave a mighty victory through David so the world would know there was a God in Israel!
God called Abram and promised to make his offspring as numerous as the stars. Abram questioned God about this promise since he remained childless in his old age. God reaffirmed, “A son coming from your own body will be your heir. Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:4,6). Abram’s wife, Sarai, was in her mid-70s at this time. Knowing she was past childbearing years, she decided she would have to build a family in a different way. She gave her maid to Abram as a wife and asked for a child through her. Ishmael was born to Haggar a year later. Sarai’s actions indicated what she believed about God.
Sarai’s actions revealed what she really believed about God. She did not have the faith to believe God could do the impossible and give her a child in her own age. Her belief about God was limited by her human reason. This act of unbelief was extremely costly. Ishmael caused Abram and Sarai much grief in their old age. Ishmael and his descendants have lived in hostility toward Isaac and his descendants from that time until today.
Final Thought
What you do reveals what you believe about God, regardless of what you say. When God reveals what He is purposing to do, you face a crisis—a decision time. God and the world can tell from your response what you really believe about God. Your trust in God will determine what you do and how you live.