2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Hearing the Word has to be combined with faith. We have to trust what is said in order for us to receive the benefits of what we hear. In order to receive the benefits of the First Time Home Buyer tax break, you had to be a first time home buyer AND fill out the paperwork. You did not get the check in the mail until you claimed the benefit. You might have heard about the money, and that was not enough. You might have even bought the home. Still no money. You had to fill out your tax form in faith that you would not go to jail for claiming the benefit. I love to hear about the arrests that happen when they lure people to a place in the hope of receiving some money. Then when the crooks arrive, they grab them. Believe it or not, the crooks combined the message with faith. They thought they would be getting some money out of the deal. They put action to what they had heard. I hope and pray that you are combining faith with what you are hearing from the Word. It is only the Word that brings fruit that will last. The Israelites did not combine faith with what they heard and saw. They ignored the miracles. In reality miracles don’t really produce permanent faith. They ignored the visible signs of God’s presence, the pillar of cloud and fire, the rumbling of the mountain, and the sound of His voice. Are you ignoring what God is doing in your life and in the lives of those around you?
The Arnold Journey 