Rabbi Schneider - How to Go to the Next Level of Faith
Beloved, you may have heard me teach on this before but it's worth repeating. David's words in Psalm 23 verse 4. He said "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me". We need to get a grip of the fact that God is always present with us. The challenge we have is that a lot of times it doesn't feel like He's present with us. I don't know about you but sometimes in life I feel really lonely or sad. I'm trying to get ahold of God but I don't feel Him, I can't sense Him. I haven't felt like He has recently sometimes communicated to me. I haven't heard His voice. I just go through seasons like that at times. Maybe it's a day, maybe a few days, maybe even longer. But as I walk with God and practice walking by faith, rather than my feelings, when I declare that You are with me, even when I feel nothing, this is what David said, "Lo though I walk through the valley of the shadow".
What's a shadow? He said "the shadow of death". Well when you're in the shadow of death, what are you feeling? You're not feeling anything. You're not feeling God's presence when you're walking through the valley of the shadow of death. But faith goes beyond feeling, and it's rooted in the truth. It's centered in the Word of God which is truth. David said even though I'm walking through this valley, this shadow right now, this wasteland, this emptiness where it seems like there's no life here, David said, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.
So I just want to speak God's word and His life into your soul right now. God is with you wherever you are. He is already here. And God wants to increase our faith by putting us in situations where we don't feel Him. Putting us in circumstances where it appears as though He's not there. He wants to bring us to a place where we can affirm in our soul, in our heart, in our mind, and even with our emotions, because of our faith in God's Word, that He is always with us. Beloved to get to the next level of faith, our faith is gonna have to be tested. And what that means is we're gonna have to learn to walk through some valleys of the shadow of death in faith, trusting and affirming God's Word over our life. I affirm God's Word over you right now, beloved one. God is with you wherever you're at. Now affirm that, and have joy.