Have you....... since you believed?

The verse that the title refers to is Acts 19:2 where Paul asks the disciples "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" Paul asked this question because he realized that true belief evokes action. He knew that the Holy Ghost could be attained by anyone willing to follow the example of Christ. This same concept can be applied to every aspect of our lives. Anything that we truly work towards is attainable if we are willing to combine "works" with our "faith." According to Romans 12:3 "For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." This passage tells us that no man starts with more or less faith than the next. It is the exercising of the measure given unto us that yields results. During one service my pastor said something that really resonated with me concerning faith. He said that, "God recognizes real faith when He sees it." We are often able to do just enough in order to convince man that our faith is strong and unwavering, but God knows all. He can sense doubt, fear, and uncertainty in our hearts when no one else can. Often times we question why things that we ask for do not come into fruition, but the answer lies within us. It is because our measure of faith has not grown strong enough to "stagger not at the promise of God through unbelief..." like Abraham according to Romans 4:20. I am the first to admit that I tend to question whether what I am asking for is truly meant for me, which leads God to question the strength of my faith. When we allow doubt to enter into our hearts we set back our blessings. I believe that in most of situations that we have sought divine intervention for could have been resolved more expediently if not for doubt and uncertainty. We restart the process every time we allow either to disrupt our prayers. Instead we should start making preparations to receive the blessing. I was once told that success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. I'm reminded of my mother telling me the story of how we moved into the house I grew up in. She told me of my father and herself seeing the house and inquiring about it. At first it did not seem as though they would be able to get the house but she "judged Him faithful who had made the promise" just as Sarah did in Hebrews 11:11. She began to express her desire to attain the house to the Lord and reminded Him of His promise to be a "rewarder to those who diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). She began packing things in the house in preparation for the move despite the circumstances. It wasn't but a few days later that they were notified that they would indeed be able to get the house. It was the stepping out on faith that God rewarded. We must play the part until it happens. We cannot judge what is enough in the eyes of God, but instead be determined strive as long as it takes to get there. When we show faith we are not only rewarded with what have asked for, but we also strengthening of our faith in order to ask things even greater. In Matthew 19:26 Jesus himself said "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." We can never experience the full extent of this promise without going through situations that allow us to strengthen our "measure of faith." So, have you.... since you believed?