This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis (ts@godspeak.org)

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                          Grow In Faith

Little one, I have told you that you must have faith.  And I have explained
that faith is like a mustard seed, that it starts small, but it grows into
something large and substantial.

Do you understand what that means? It means that I will lead you into 
progressive steps of faith. At first these steps will seem very small
to you, perhaps insignificant.  But you will see Me meet you as you 
step out with your baby step.  And that will cause your faith to grow.
And then you will take a slightly larger step, and I will meet you again,
and your faith will grow even more.  And little by little, step by step
I will increase your faith, I will cause it to grow, until you are able
to take large steps of faith and to successfully walk the walk of faith.
And then you will see My glory manifest in your life.

Child, faith is not a mental attitude; it is a confidence and assuredness
that comes from experiencing My faithfulness.  I am the one that imparts 
the seed of faith into you, and I am the one who causes it to grow.  It
is My doing. So cooperate with Me in it and do not resist Me when I try
to work a greater measure of faith in your heart.  

Don't you understand that at times I must allow you to be placed in 
faith-producing situations, that your faith might grow as a result of it?  
At times I will allow adversity and hardship so that I might meet you in 
it and demonstrate My faithfulness to you.  At times I will allow the 
circumstances to become so dire that there is no hope unless I meet you 
and come through for you in them. And then I do enter into your situation 
and work My glory in it. And when I do that, you see and know deep in 
your innermost being that I really do keep My word, that I am faithful.
And something inside of you learns that you can trust and depend on Me.  
Experience teaches you that I will come through for you, and it causes 
your faith to grow.

I am not being cruel when I allow the hardship and difficulty to come 
into your life.  No child, I have not stopped loving you nor have I 
stopped taking care of you.  I already have a plan in place for your 
deliverance that will thrust you into victory.  I already have a strategy 
to make you an overcoming one, to demonstrate My faithfulness to you and 
to be mighty on your behalf.  

So do not resist Me when I put you into situations designed to increase 
your faith. Be like Hezekiah who did not cower in the face of the army
that came to besiege his city.  Do not believe the power of the enemy to
harm you. Instead cry out to Me as Hezekiah did, and look to Me for 
your deliverance.  Be like Elisha who was surrounded by soldiers that came
to capture him. He did not fear them because He saw what I was doing 
behind the scenes to work My glory in the situation.  Allow Me to open 
your eyes as I opened his servant's eyes, that you might see all the 
kingdom resources I have deployed on your behalf.  Allow Me to show
you that I am much bigger than the problem that besets you and that I
am able to take care of My own.

Do not be like the children of Israel when I led them out of Egypt with
a mighty hand, having worked many signs and wonders and miracles in their
midst.  Despite all that I had already done for them, they fixed their
eyes on the problems and became overwhelmed by them.  They did not look
to Me as their solution, they did not see Me as bigger and more powerful 
than the circumstances that beset them.  As a result, they were unable to 
grow in faith, and they could not develop the type of faith necessary to 
please Me. 

Over and over again, I permitted situations designed to increase their 
faith. And over and over again they fixed their eyes only on the problem 
and not on Myself, the faithful One Who stood ready to deliver them. Over 
and over again I delivered them despite their lack of faith, hoping that
they would learn to look at Me as their deliverer instead of looking only
at their circumstances and being overwhelmed by them.  But over and over 
again they quenched faith and focused their attention only on the problems 
that beset them, and they whined and complained about them. I was patient 
with them for many years, and over and over again I demonstrated My 
faithfulness to them. Over and over I delivered them from whatever 
problem they faced.  But they would not allow themselves to learn from 
experiencing My faithfulness; they would not allow their faith to grow.

Do not be like them when you face your trials and problems.  Do not focus
your attention on the problems and hardship.  Instead, focus your attention
on Me and My faithfulness, and you will see Me move on your behalf. Then,
as you experience My faithfulness, your faith will increase -- until it 
is big and strong and firm and pleasing unto Me.  So allow Me to increase 
your faith.  Look to Me, child, and know that I am faithful.