RYL 3 “Have Faith”

Coming out of Clay in the Potter’s Hands, we step into a place where the healing He has begun calls us to a deeper response. The same Hands that shaped your wounds into softness now invite you to walk forward in trust. What He restored within you, He now asks you to exercise with courage. Faith becomes the next part of your journey—not a faith forced by fear or striving, but a faith born from surrender, from being held, from knowing the Potter as your Beloved. And now He whispers, just as He did to those trembling on the stormy sea…  

“Do not be afraid… trust Me.” 
 
When someone has deeply hurt you, fear often grows in the places where trust was shattered, becoming one of the greatest evils you will continually need to overcome. His Word reminds us, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Fear tries to convince you that more pain is coming, that you must stay guarded, that you cannot risk hoping again. It steals your faith and leaves your heart vulnerable, especially when you listen to what others say or imagine what might happen next. But when you turn your eyes back to your Beloved instead of the person who wounded you, fear begins to loosen its hold. Have faith in God’s ability and His desire to restore you, to heal the broken places within you, and to make whole what someone else damaged. This is where faith rises and healing begins.  
 
An example of faith is Peter. Reading the account of Peter when the Lord asked Peter to walk on water was not to test him, but to show him that when you have faith you can rise even where fear once ruled over you.  

Later the same night the Lord fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, in the middle of a storm thinking they saw a ghost, the Lord said, “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!” 

Peter, recognizing Him, called out, "Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."  

"Come," and Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water.  

When you’ve been deeply hurt, stepping out in faith feels terrifying, almost impossible, like asking your trembling heart to trust the very waves that once swallowed you. 

Yet the moment Peter cried out, the Lord responded immediately. Immediately He spoke courage into their shaking hearts; immediately He reached for Peter when the waters overwhelmed him. And He is reaching for you too—instantly, tenderly—when old pain resurfaces and the memories feel too heavy. He doesn’t wait for you to be strong. He takes hold of you in your fear, holding you securely before the storm has even passed. 

Fear. A question we must ask ourselves is “Why did Peter sink?” Here’s our answer: “But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified” When someone has hurt you deeply, your heart learns to scan for danger the way Peter stared at the wind—always watching, always bracing, always expecting the worst. And just like Peter, the more you look at the storm, the heavier your fear becomes until your strength gives way beneath it. Trauma teaches your heart to anticipate pain, but the Lord teaches you to look at Him instead. When you turn your eyes toward the One who understands every wound you carry, faith begins to breathe again, gently restoring what fear tried to suffocate.  

Rise above your storm. Instead, keep your eyes on Him and rise above your storm. Healing after deep hurt is not gentle at first—it shakes you like a plane climbing through violent clouds. Your emotions may bump and shudder and tremble, and you may wonder if you’ll ever feel steady again. But once you rise with Him above the storm, the darkness below looks different. What once terrified you becomes something He holds in His hands, not you. And from that higher place of trust, His peace wraps around you like warm sunlight breaking through the clouds, softening the fear that used to control your heart.  

Your testimony. Another very important point is to see what happened to the others who were in the boat. It says, “And those who were in the boat adored Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’”  

When you walk through your storm and come out whole—not because the storm was small, but because your Savior was strong—others will see it. They may not know the details of your pain, but they will see the peace God has grown in you, the gentleness that now fills the places where fear once lived. Your healed life becomes a living testimony of His kindness and His power to restore what was broken. And when others face storms of their own, they will look to you—not because you are strong, but because His strength became visible in your healing. 

Overcome 

The wind stopped. “And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.” The winds that once terrified you will one day be silent. Every wave that has crashed over your life has been shaping something within you—not to crush you, but to strengthen you. And just as God transformed Peter in the midst of his storm, He is forming something steadfast and unshakable in you. The enemy may whisper that this pain will last forever unless you give up, but that is a lie. God never intended for you to remain in suffering. His Word says, “Even though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death.” You are walking THROUGH it—not living in it. 

 The enemy loves to paint a picture of hopelessness, but God is your hope—and hope is the quiet confidence that His Word will hold you together when everything else feels like it’s falling apart. As you draw close to Him, the valley begins to lose its darkness. His presence shifts the atmosphere, softening what once felt unbearable. And soon, the very place that felt like the end becomes the place where new strength rises. When intimacy with Him becomes your anchor, the storms lose their power, and the shadows lose their threat. What once looked like devastation becomes the beginning of your healing, and the winds inside your heart will settle as surely as the winds on that sea. 

Faith 

Abraham. A second example of faith walked out is when Abraham was 90 years old and still without the child God had promised him many years earlier. It says of Abraham, “He hoped against hope.” Isn’t that good? Even when all hope was gone, he continued to believe God and take Him at His Word. We must do the same. His story reminds us that hope is not built on circumstances but on the One who made the promise. When everything looks impossible, healing often begins in the moment you choose to believe Him anyway. 

Act on the faith that you have. “And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.’” You don’t need perfect faith—just a tiny seed of trust.  

God only needs your willingness. When you respond with the faith you have, He meets you there and begins to carry what has been pressing on your heart for so long. 

Sometimes faith is as simple as reaching out with whatever strength you have left—just like the woman who touched the hem of the Lord’s garment and was healed. She had no certainty, no status, and no strength… only a desperate hope that He could mend what life had broken. He honored that trembling, fragile faith. In the same way, even the smallest reach of your heart toward Him is enough for His healing to begin. 

If you lack faith. If you lack faith, you should ask God for it. There is a battle, even for your faith. “Fight the good fight of faith…” And “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…” “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.” 

Faith can feel fragile when you’ve been deeply hurt, but God is not discouraged by your weakness. Ask Him for the faith you’re missing. Choose to trust Him right where you are, even if all you can offer is is your broken heart. 

Examples of faith. You can draw comfort from the ones in God’s Word who trusted God in their darkest moments and let their stories breathe strength into you. You can find the “Hall of Faith” in the book of Hebrews. We need to act on God’s promises— “Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” 

The stories of those who trusted God before us remind us that He still heals today. What He’s done for others, He can do for you. Let their testimonies breathe courage into your heart as you believe Him for your own healing story. 

Doubt Destroys 

Divided Loyalty. When your heart has been wounded deeply, doubt can feel like a natural response—an attempt to protect yourself from more disappointment. “But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” “I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions.” Doubt doesn’t protect; it only keeps you tossed around inside, never settling, never resting. Healing comes when you plant both feet on His truth and let His Word steady what pain has shaken. 

If you have trouble with doubts, you need to read and meditate on God’s Word, which is the only truth! And when your heart is fragile, you must gently guard it from voices that weaken your faith or feed your fear. Surround yourself with truth, not opinions. Speak honestly about your trust in God’s ability to heal you, but hold close the tender things He is doing in your heart until they blossom fully. Not everyone can understand what God is rebuilding inside you—and that’s okay. 

Faith without good deeds “Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” Faith expresses itself in small, steady choices—choosing peace instead of panic, choosing hope instead of despair, choosing to live today as if healing is already unfolding. “How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” If you believe God is healing your heart, begin to act like someone who is being made whole—walk with a quiet confidence, live in expectation, and speak words that align with His promise.  

Don’t get ahead of God. Don’t make any rash decisions, thinking they will somehow speed up your healing or change your situation. Don’t make sudden changes believing they will fix your pain on their own. God is a God of waiting. Urgency is usually from the enemy. Instead, place every part of your situation into His hands and allow Him to move when He knows the timing is perfect. Healing often arrives gently—suddenly, but not rushed—after we stop trying to force an outcome and trust His way. 

Firm in your faith. Remind yourself of those who overcame their situation and ultimately received the abundant life God promised. “Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” Keep the testimonies of others close—not to compare your pain, but to remind your heart that God has always been faithful. Let their stories of healing strengthen your belief that He will be faithful to you as well. And don’t hold these testimonies in silence—share them with those who doubt that healing is possible. Each testimony becomes another reminder that the God who changed you can change anything. 

How to Increase Your Faith 

The Word. How can we gain faith, or increase our faith? “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News...” 

Faith grows as you sit quietly with His Word, letting His promises speak directly to your heart. Read slowly. Read gently. Let truth replace the lies pain has planted. And when your faith feels thin, allow the testimonies of others to hold you up. God often strengthens us by placing faithful people around us—those who believe when we feel weak. Sometimes, the moment you feel most empty is the moment God asks you to give encouragement away. As you pour out even a little faith, He fills you again—just as He did for the widow who gave her last cake and received a miracle. 

So many women who come to RMI for help fail to reap a restored heart because they feel they are unable to sow into anyone else’s life since they are busy struggling to save their own life. 

When you are hurting, it’s natural to turn inward—but healing grows when faith is shared. Encouragement multiplies when it’s given freely. Walking alongside others doesn’t drain you; it strengthens you. God often meets us in community, using shared stories and gentle support to rebuild what pain has weakened. 

Obedience.  

Don’t forget that obedience to God is paramount to victory. 

Obedience is not about fear—it’s about trust. The Lord reminds us, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter… ‘ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” Obedience keeps our hearts open to God’s work. When we follow His ways, faith finds solid ground to grow. 

In God’s will. If your heart convicts you that you are not in God’s will and that you are not following His principles for healing, then of course you will have no confidence and no faith to receive your healing from the Lord. 

When your heart is divided, faith struggles to breathe. If stubbornness or resistance has settled in, bring it honestly before Him. God is gentle with hearts that are willing. When your will begins to bend toward His, faith rises naturally—and healing follows. 

You MUST Wait 

Wait for His timing. God seems to work on one thing at a time. We must work with Him in His timing, not ours. Waiting does not mean doing nothing—it means trusting Him to heal when the moment is right. God is patient and kind; He doesn’t overwhelm us by revealing everything at once. Instead, He invites us to use this waiting season to draw closer to Him, to grow in intimacy, and to learn to rest rather than resist. Even when the pain feels intense, remember that many battles are often fought quietly on your behalf. “The battle is not yours, but God’s!” 

We have the comfort of knowing that He hears us immediately, but the response may seem slow. God’s silence is never absence. In the book of Daniel, we’re reminded that God responds the moment we humble our hearts: “From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days.” Sometimes the delay isn’t denial—it’s spiritual work unfolding beyond what we can see. So don’t lose heart. Healing takes time, but God is faithful. “As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.” 

Resisting Evil 

Do not resist evil. Probably the greatest weapon in your battle is that of surrender. When you’ve been deeply hurt, your instinct is to fight back, defend yourself, or brace for impact—but surrender disarms the battle altogether. Rather than meeting evil head-on, God invites you to place every injustice, every wound, and every fear into His hands. These principles are not about weakness; they are about trusting God to fight for you in ways you never could. 

The Lord said “But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.” This teaching is powerful because it frees your heart. When you stop resisting, you stop carrying the weight of offense, anger, and fear. Healing begins when you no longer let evil dictate your responses or shape your spirit. 

And for the few Christians who don’t fight back, they miss a blessing while they are busy patting themselves on the back. Simply refusing to retaliate is not the same as choosing blessing. God calls us beyond restraint into grace—beyond silence into kindness. When you bless instead of resist, you step into the very place where God’s favor flows. 

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” Blessing doesn’t excuse what happened—it releases you from its power. This is where healing deepens, where peace replaces bitterness, and where freedom begins to take root. 

As you learn not to resist evil, something quiet but powerful begins to happen inside you. The grip of offense loosens. The urgency to explain, defend, or react begins to fade. Choosing blessing over resistance doesn’t mean the pain didn’t matter—it means you are no longer allowing it to rule your heart. This is where healing takes deeper root, where peace starts to replace bitterness, and where freedom gently unfolds. And as your heart softens, you begin to realize something important: not every feeling needs to be spoken aloud to others—some are meant to be carried first into the presence of the One who understands them fully which is where we will continue in the next chapter by crying out to the Lord.