The Lifted Warrior
Designed for new and young believers in Christ, this weekly podcast equips you with essential spiritual tools to navigate daily struggles and uphold Christian values. Each episode offers practical strategies to strengthen your faith and stay committed to a life fully submitted to Jesus. Join us as we encourage and empower you to stand firm in your walk with Christ.
The Lifted Warrior
Seeking God: The Start to Faith
What does it truly mean to have faith? Not just a casual acknowledgment of spiritual realities, but a transformative belief that shapes how we navigate our world. In this first episode of our new faith series, we dive deep into Hebrews 11:6 – "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
Faith begins with the profound realization that God doesn't just exist as a historical creator or future hope – He IS, right now. More real than the microphone I speak into, more substantial than the ground beneath your feet, more essential than the air filling your lungs. This isn't merely theological rhetoric; it's a perspective that revolutionizes how we experience each moment. For many believers, understanding God's past actions or future promises comes easily, but grasping His immediate presence transforms everything.
The second crucial aspect of faith explored is believing God rewards those who sincerely seek Him. Many struggle with this concept because earthly relationships, particularly with parents or authority figures, have created distorted expectations. But God isn't like our natural or spiritual parents – His very nature is to reward genuine seeking. Drawing from Nahum 1:7 and James 1:17, we see God's consistent character as a refuge and giver of good gifts, even to scattered believers facing uncertainty and destruction.
The key distinction? We must seek God Himself, not merely His blessings. When we pursue relationship with the Great I Am rather than chasing divine handouts, everything else naturally follows. The greatest reward isn't found in material blessings but in the refuge and relationship we find in Him.
Join me as we continue this faith-building journey in the coming weeks. Subscribe to the Lifted Warrior podcast for biblical wisdom and strength for life's daily challenges, delivered every two weeks straight to your favorite podcast platform.
Welcome on this episode of the podcast. We're going to be talking about Hebrews 11 and 6, specifically the parts where it says that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. But before that, I want to welcome you to the Lifted Warrior podcast. My name is Cameron and once every two weeks, I give you biblical wisdom and strength concerning life's daily issues. If that interests you, you're in the right place. So, as we were ending our last series, where we're talking about deconstructing deconstruction and just really deconstructing us versus deconstruction the Bible or deconstructing our faith or deconstructing our faith one thing that I really noticed is that, for many of us, we have either a lack of faith or misplaced faith. So what got really impressed on me as we're going through it is that this next series would be about faith, that it will be about building up faith. So I pray that you would stay with me for the next month or so as we really hammer this home, because I believe that faith is what's going to get us through. Believe that faith is what's going to get us through, that faith is what's going to allow us to be able to see the goodness of God, as this verse even says, and that faith is just a substance of who we have to be. So again, welcome to this episode, welcome to this new series that we're in, and I pray that you get something from it. So let's go ahead and let's look at the verse and then we'll jump in that you get something from it. So let's go ahead and let's look at the verse and then we'll jump in. So Hebrews 11 and 6, and it says and it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. So, again, this verse is talking about faith, but I also believe that it is the perfect segue from talking about deconstructing us, because, as we talked about it and like I said before, as we talked about it, there's so many walking away from faith and completely abandoning excuse me, and completely like throwing aside the Christian faith altogether, because of some misplaced trust or some misplaced faith in different things, not necessarily in God. In this scripture, if you look at Hebrews 10, right before it, paul is literally going through the dangers of walking away from the faith, and then he comes back in Hebrews 11 and he gives us this verse and it's so powerful and it's so profound that I think a lot of us need to really grab onto it, because, again, we know that without faith it's impossible to please God. But it's not just impossible to please God without faith. It's impossible to even know him without faith, because we first again have to believe that he exists.
Speaker 1:And that word there exists meaning. It's meaning that he is, it's meaning that not that he used to be, not that he was at one time or not that he was the one that created the earth. But he's no longer here with us and he no longer cares about our day-to-day. But no, it means that he is. That means that he is with you, it means that he is walking with you, he is talking with you, he is helping you, he is leading you, he is guiding you. Whatever it is that you need from God, he is. Whether you need him to be a help, he is that. Whether you need him to be strength, he is that. Whether you need him to be your peace, he is that. Whatever it is that you're needing from God, we first have to understand that he is, he is, he is, he is, he is, he is, he is. I'll keep saying it because we first have to come to that understanding that God exists.
Speaker 1:And I believe a lot of us understand that he was. I think a lot of us understand that he will be in the afterlife. But I don't think a lot of us have completely grasped the fact that, even though I may not see him physically, that even though I'm living in the physical world and the spiritual world seems foreign to me, god is. In fact. God is so much that he's more real than the very microphone that I'm speaking on right now. He's more real than the very streets that I walk on when I go out and go for a walk or go for a run. God is more real than those things. God is more real than the air that you breathe. God is more real than the breath in your lungs. God is more real than those things.
Speaker 1:And so we first have to come into that understanding that he is. And I know it seems so elementary, I know it seems like such a small thing, but for a lot of us, myself included, we first have to believe that he is Before we can get into the fact that he will deliver, before we can get into the fact that he is a good provider for his children. Before we can get into the fact that he is a deliverer, that he is a savior, before we can get into that, we first have to fact that he is a deliverer, that he is a savior. Before we can get into that, we first have to believe that he is, believe that he is. It's that simple. And then, moving from that, it's understanding that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. And this is where I'm going to be most of this. It's understanding that he rewards those that seek him.
Speaker 1:And I believe a lot of us haven't really sought God the way that we should have, because we have issues with our own parents, whether that be from your father, whether that be from your mother, whether that be from someone else who raised you, whoever it may be. I believe a lot of us have issues with trusting that God is a rewarder of those that seek him, because when we went and sought after our own parents, we weren't rewarded for the seek. And I'm not here to delve into your upbringing, I'm not here to delve into how you were raised or anything like that, but what I am in here to challenge is that God is not your natural parents. God is also not your spiritual parents. God is God and he's a rewarder of those who seek him sincerely. It's just in his nature.
Speaker 1:I know human nature is not always towards those who we say that we love. I know that human nature is not always towards the ones that seek us, but God's heart is towards those that seek him and I have two verses that's going to prove this. The first one is in the Old Testament and the second one is in the New Testament. But if we're looking in the Old Testament, we're going to go to Nahalm 1 and 7. And it says the Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. And the first thing that we have to understand about this book in general, before we even go into the verse the book of Nahum is written to declare the destruction of Nineveh, while also encouraging the people of Judah that God was dealing with their enemies, was dealing with their enemies.
Speaker 1:I really was trying not to go here, but there's a lot of us who are facing opposition. There's a lot of us who are facing things that have been opposing us, that has destroyed people, that came before us, that has destroyed parts of our family, that has destroyed what we thought we would be, and now that thing is coming for us again. That thing is creeping at the door. It's knocking at the door. It's on the edge of our territory and on our boundary, and what I hear God saying to many people in this very moment is that he is the one that's going to not just defend you, but he is going to destroy the very enemy that destroyed the people before you. He is going to show up on your behalf. If you trust him, if you trust him, if you believe that he is a rewarder of those that seek him, if you have the faith which is why we're diving into this faith topic is because if you have the faith, if you have the trust that God is going to deliver you, then he will. And he's looking for those going to deliver you. Then he will. And he's looking for those. He's seeking those. He's after those who have a heart who is after him.
Speaker 1:And what we have to understand is, even in the face of destruction and uncertainty, god is good and he's a refuge to those who have put their faith in him. So, if you think of the word of refugee, what it is, it's someone who's been cast out from their own land. It's someone who's a runaway from different things and different trials and different situations that have been going on where they're from, and they run away from those things, seeking refuge in another. And that's truly who we are. We run away from this life, we run away from sin, we run away from the world, seeking safety in God. But many of us have been battling and been on the fence where we have not fully given ourselves over to God, but we've come to God sort of. But we still want to be in the world. But what we have to do in this time and in this present time is understand okay, if I'm truly going to get out of this thing, if I'm truly going to overcome the things that are trying to overcome me, then what I have to do is fully put my trust and put my faith in God, come out of the world, come out of the things that have been holding me down, that have been holding me hostage, and give my life fully to God so that he can be my refuge. The only way that he can be my refuge is if I fully obey Him and if I fully follow Him. So we have to do that. We have to be a full followers of who God is.
Speaker 1:The second verse I want to look at look at really quickly is James one in 17. And it says whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God, our father, who created all the lights in the heavens. And again, this is another scripture that is speaking to a scattered people of God. Both of these scriptures, god gave me, both of these and I do believe that it was perfect for this, because in both of these scriptures, god is speaking to his people. He's speaking to a people who are facing destruction. He's speaking to a people who are scattered or who are worried about their future.
Speaker 1:If you look at James, james is talking to the church that is scattered in Rome, and so he's talking to this church and he's encouraging them to keep the faith and not to turn away, but he's encouraging them that, hey, whatever you get, that is good, and whatever you get, that is perfect. It comes from God. And I know you're going through some hard things. I know you're scattered. I know you don't know what's going to come next, because Jesus just died. I know you don't know how we're going to progress this thing. I know you don't know how God is going to be your savior, but trust me that whatever good and perfect gift that you have, whatever good and perfect gift that you receive, it comes from the Lord, who created all the heavens, all the lights in the heavens. He's the one that created everything. Instead of turning to astrology the lights in heaven, instead of turning to astrology and turning to these other things that God created, know that he is the one that created it, one, and he is the one that provides every good and perfect gift. So we have to believe that he rewards those who sincerely seek Him.
Speaker 1:And I'm pushing this really hard. Why? Because I understand that there are many who have had faith in things, who have put their faith in God, who have put their faith in different Bible verses and have not seen the goodness of God come from it. Why? Because you have put your faith in it, not necessarily because it's what God told you to do, but it's because what man told you to do. So I'm not here to give you another. If you put your faith in this for the next 30 days, then you're going to receive X, y, z. I'm not doing that. I need you to seek God for yourself.
Speaker 1:And as you seek God for yourself, and begin to seek him out for faith, seek him out for faith and he'll reveal to you what he wants to give, what he wants to put in your hand. But you have to begin to diligently seek him and sincerely seek him. Not seek him for the thing, but seek him for who he is. Seek him for being the I am. Seek him for being the alpha and omega. Seek him for being your all in all and everything else, everything else that you need, whatever you wear, whatever you eat, whatever you drink all of that will be added unto you. Let me calm down, but we have to believe that again one, that he exists and two, that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. So, as we continue to go into this this is going to be a very quick episode because I don't want to do too much I really just want to hit you with this let you know that God is a rewarder of those who seek him, and then let's move forward. Let's begin to build our faith together, but what we have to understand is that he gives his promises to those who seek him, who seek him, who seek him Again, I'm pushing this, that we're seeking him.
Speaker 1:We're seeking him and we're not seeking ourselves. We're not seeking the next blessing. We're not seeking the house. We're not seeking the next ministry opportunity. We're not seeking the next spouse or whatever it is that you're looking for. No, begin to diligently and sincerely seek Him. Seek God for His safety, seek God for His refuge, seek God for everything that he is, not for what he can provide. That way you can begin to receive those promises.
Speaker 1:And don't get me wrong God is one that has great promises for many of us, for not just many of us, all of his children. If the Bible says that I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor the seed, nor his seed begging for bread, and the only way that we become righteous is by believing in him. So if I believe in him and he's a great rewarder of those that believe in him that means that if I believe in him and I'm seeking him properly, that I'll never want for anything else in my life, but I'll have everything, and my seed even my seed won't be begging for bread, right. So I understand that the promises of God are great. I understand that what he wants to release to you is great.
Speaker 1:In fact, that's where I really wanted to end is that is, teaching you and telling you, excuse me, how great the reward is that God has for you, but the main reward, and the only reward that we really need to seek, is the reward of our salvation, and if we really grasp hold of our salvation and of our safety and of our refuge in Him, everything else that we have been looking for every opportunity, every ministry, every gift, every house, every car, everything else has to seek us. Once we seek Him properly, once we seek Him properly, once we seek him properly, everything else will begin to chase you down. We begin to chase you down. We'll begin to chase you down. We'll begin to chase you down. So let's wrap up.
Speaker 1:What I really want you guys to know as we exit man, is that everything is that everything, everything that God has promised you that you will see it. You will see it. We have to build our faith to get there, though Not only do we have to build our faith to get there, we have to lay hold of the fact that God is with us, that God covers us, that he protects us in all things. So, as we continue to push forward in this series of faith. I pray that you understand that God will reward you for your faith, that God will reward you for your seat and that you won't go without God bless.
