I know that Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing.  But that is not all there is to it. Hebrews 11:1 says that, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, (past tense).  Therefore, hope is a prerequisite for faith.  But faith doesn't come automatically.

Here is how it actually works.  A person has a need that they cannot fulfill.  As they seek and fail to find anyone else to fulfill that need, the situation seems more and more hopeless.  Hope tends to leave a little at a time.

Then you hear something said about someone or something that may be the answer to your need and then, depending on the reputation of the source of what was said, hope returns on some level.  If the one whom you heard is of a impeccable reputation, your hope may soar because you now believe that there is a source out there to fulfill your need.  But how does one tap the source to fulfill the need?

Now, I am talking about hope.  Not wishing, not dreaming, but real Bible hope.  Real Bible hope is expectation or anticipation based upon something rock solid.  Let me ask you, what could be more rock solid that a legal, good faith offer made to fulfill your need, offered to you by someone that, according to testimony after testimony, has never failed to keep his word and never failed to fulfill every offer, promise, covenant or contract?

God is the one.  Mostly in the form of the Lord Jesus, He has never failed to keep His word.  And both Old and New Testaments of the Bible are loaded with eyewitness testimony of how God has never failed to keep his word.  God's word is good!  I'm not talking about the printed book called the Bible.  I am saying that His word is good!  He keeps His word.  He fulfills His word.  His entire reputation and Godhead is based upon Him keeping His word.

When the word of God is heard by us, offering us a means or method to fulfill our need, and we believe it in our hearts, and hope returns once again, we are half-way there.  For we now have the prerequisite hope, which is the rock solid expectation needed to take the next important step.

God has made you a legal, good faith offer that has the ability to fulfill your need.  The question is, are you now going to accept it? If a store made an offer in the newspaper, you would clip it out and take it to the store and claim or accept that offer.  Why not take the offer you heard before God and tell Him that you claim or accept that offer, and commit to doing everything in your power to see to it that you do not breach this new relationship, covenant or contract between you.  Wow!  

You just verbally signed a legally binding good faith contract with God!  That act of faith, sealed the deal, and now, faith is.  But don't throw our your hope.  No! Faith mixed with that rock solid expectation and anticipation, should have you celebrating already!    TGM