Where’s the Faith?
“Faith, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” – Hebrews 11:1.
One of those verses I memorized at a very young age. My sister and brother used to tease me about always having my prayers answered, to the point that if they wanted something, they would say “we should just have Andrea pray for it.” During a Sunday school class, we were learning about tithing, and one of my friends asked, “Well, what if you only had a dollar?” Without even skipping a beat, in a very matter of fact tone, I blurted out, “Well you give the dollar,” like duh? During the summer between my 8th grade year and my 9th grade year, I begged my parents to send me to Calvary Chapel Murrieta High School. I know it must have pained them to tell me no, that there was no possible way we could afford it. I petitioned the Lord, praying earnestly. I felt with all my being that is where I needed to go to High School. I don’t know how the Lord did it, but He made a way, and I started my freshman year of high school at Calvary Chapel Murrieta and it was a life changing, life alternating decision for the good. Not only did the Lord provide for me to go, but the next year he provided a way for my brother and sister to attend as well. Why do I share these stories? I’m trying to paint a picture for you. Having ‘faith” was never something I struggled with. I took the Lord at His word. If He said it, I believed it, and there was nothing that could detour me from believing Him.
The years went on, and slowly I began to lose that whole-hearted trust in Him I once had. Life began to creep into my fixed gaze. The Lord, who was once my sole focus, now became blurred in the background, a fuzzy image only seen in my peripherals. Unfortunately, it is now a great struggle of mine, this faith like a mustard seed. How desperately I want to believe like I once did. To not be tossed about by the waves. Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary says…
Faith is in general the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true (Phil 1:27; 2Th 2:13). Its primary idea is trust. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it rests.
It seems so simple, so uncomplicated. A thing is true, and therefore worthy of trust.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17
So my lack of faith is directly linked to my decreased intake of the Word of God. I can’t even tell you how much that hurts. Sunday sermons, weekly podcasts, mid-week Bible studies, all good, but cannot replace my own personal time in the Word. As I was reading through Scriptures, specifically for this blog, I could feel my spirit being strengthened, contemplating the promises my eyes were skimming over. We make it so difficult for ourselves sometimes. I try and make things happen, do what I can in my own might and strength. I end up burdened, heavy laden, stressed out, and generally not the nicest person to be around. Spurgeon said…
Faith is reason at rest in God.
Rest. Faith brings rest. Faith doesn’t nullify reason; it simply hands it over to The Almighty.
“Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God…” Romans 4:19,20 NASB
There was no denying the fact that Abraham was 100 years old and that Sarah was well past the point she could conceive. Sometimes facts are facts. BUT, God’s promises override facts, they override reason. Out of respect to the promise God had made to him, Abraham did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith. Faith is not merely the act of trusting, it is an act of respect for His Word. There is said to be over 3,500 promises in the Bible. 3,500! I feel very confident in stating that there is one that applies to every situation, every heartache, and every worry that I have tucked away in my heart right now. It is just a matter of me searching them out and trusting in what I know to be true.
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