Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 KJV).

In this age of information and communication technology, many of us are bombarded with various kinds of information. According to research, the average person hears between 20,000 and 30,000 words during the course of a 24-hour period; spends between 70 and 80% of the day engaged in some form of communication with about 55% of the time devoted to listening; and remembers about 17 to 25% of the things heard. (Lake, R (2015, September 17). Listening Statistics: 23 Facts You Need to Hear. CreditDonkey. Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.creditdonkey.com/listening-statistics.html

The Apostle Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. What are you listening to and what are you hearing? Equally important is to whom are you listening and hearing? What are you also saying to others? How much of what you are listening to, hearing or saying is consistent with the word of God?

Many, many years ago in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a young Jewish girl heard about the Prophet Elisha who lived in Samaria, the capital city. That girl was captured in a raid by a band from Aram and taken to Aram where she served in the household of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram.

Commander Naaman had leprosy. Coming from Israel, the young girl knew how badly lepers were treated and shunned as unclean by the rest of the society. Even in captivity in a far away land, the girl did not lose faith in God or in His servant, the Prophet Elisha. One day, she mustered courage and told Naaman’s wife that if Naaman could go to Israel and see Elisha, the prophet would cure him of the leprosy. What a remarkable demonstration of faith by the young girl!

Naaman’s wife apparently told her husband what she had heard from the young girl. Upon hearing the good news, Naaman exercised faith and went to Samaria where God healed him through Elisha. (For interesting drama about what happened when Naaman went to Samaria, read 2 Kings Chapter 5).

How did the young girl from Israel come by her faith that the Prophet Elisha could heal Naaman? It is unlikely that the young girl had had personal, firsthand knowledge of Elisha healing people or performing other miracles. More likely, back when she was in Israel, she must have heard from adults, perhaps her parents, about Elisha and she had faith that based on what she had heard, Elisha could heal Naaman of his leprosy. She was right.

Among other things, the young girl had probably heard that Elisha succeeded Prophet Elijah and inherited a double portion of Elijah’s spirit; that with a little oil, Elisha filled a poor widow’s jars with plenty of oil; prophesied for a woman to have a son within one year and the prophecy was fulfilled; and raised the same boy from death (2 Kings Chapters 2 to 4). Consider the summary of probable chain of events that produced faith and healing. Someone told the young girl about Elisha and his miraculous deeds. The young girl later told it to Naaman’s wife who told it to Naaman. Naaman acted on it by faith and went to Samaria to see Elisha and was healed of leprosy.

What we hear is not always through what people say directly to us. For example, we can also hear through music, reading, and watching television, films etc. The music we listen to, the books and other materials we read, and the television programs or films we watch, may either help to strengthen our faith in God or weaken it.

Therefore, what you listen to or hear, read, or watch is important. If you listen to or read hateful messages, you may hear hate, and develop hatred. If you listen to lies, gossips, and conspiracy theories, you may hear lies and accept them as truths. And if you listen to the word of God, or people of faith, you may find God’s faithfulness to His children and increase your faith.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God. For example, the word of God may tell you about the young girl mentioned above and other unsung heroes and heroines who were used by God. The word of God may also tell you about the faith of more famous personalities like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The word of God may tell you about Joseph and how he became the Governor of Egypt; and how God used Moses to deliver the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The word of God may tell you about how God rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from a fiery furnace, and Daniel from the lion’s den.

The word of God may also tell you about Jesus and how he healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead, suffered crucifixion for our sins, rose from death, and ascended into heaven where he has prepared a permanent abode for those who believe in him and have accepted him as their Lord and Savior. This knowledge, heard, read or watched, is a building block to our faith in God.

Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, someone has to say, write, sing or otherwise convey the appropriate message or information for you to hear or know. Unknowingly, you do likewise for others. It means that faith is not always an individual effort. Faith may work best within the context of society or community where it can be built, strengthened, renewed, tested, and refined. We support and encourage each other by what we hear, read, say, write, and sing.

At the same time, given the various social media and other media outlets through which information may be accessed, as well as the many teachers and pastors out there, we need to heed Paul’s advice to Timothy and avoid gathering around or going to those who teach or say what our “itching ears want to hear” (see 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV). These days, it is becoming increasingly common for people to go from church to church and pastor to pastor seeking those who would validate what their “itching ears want to hear.”

The innocent and honest testimony of the young girl about Prophet Elisha was a word of God delivered through her to bless the Naaman household. Words matter, regardless of the age of the person who said or wrote them. People are listening to and hearing what we say. Like the young girl, we should be a source of blessing to others by what they hear us say. In addition, we should be careful about what we hear, read, and watch, and from whom. Our faith may depend on them. Let’s pray and hope that a good portion of the 17 to 25% of the things we hear and remember is the word of God that builds our faith in God.

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.

Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney-at-Law, Texas, U.S.A., and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.

PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually by themselves without any intermediary priest, pastor or any other person. This is a free service. No money is demanded or accepted. One facility is located at Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near Building and Road Research Institute Offices, one mile off the Kumasi-Accra Road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 054-7498653. Another is located at Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, off the Kumasi-Obuasi Road, branching left at Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.