Monday, January 24, 2022

          The Bible speaks to the matter of faith on more than one occasion.  For example, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  Jesus assured us that eternal life is the result of the faith that we invest in Him.  We cannot buy, earn, inherit or take eternal life by any other means.  Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. A bit earlier in Romans we read that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).  Depending upon the translation that you read and study, some form of the word faith appears in the Bible nearly five hundred times.  Clearly, faith is an important matter to God and important for us to practice as followers of Jesus Christ.
            Faith is where we trust and believe God.  We may not see the end of a journey or the outcome of a situation but we press on believing that God has seen the end and knows the outcome and is able to get us to both destinations by the pathway of His choosing.  We are instructed to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  If we can trust God with what happens one second after we die, then surely, we can trust God with all that happens in life.  Developing faith is not always easy.  But thankfully, God has given us some important resources for developing faith.  We have the Bible to read.  We are invited to pray and present our requests and petitions before the Lord.  Worship helps us to gain a vision of the Lord so we can grow in faith and trust.  And God often works through the life situations and circumstances that we face or encounter each day.
            Hebrews 11:16 says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”  Read closely this verse.  We are unable to please the Lord apart from faith.  God takes special delight when His people seek Him and trust Him.  We take the resurrection of Jesus by faith.  We were not present by Jesus’ tomb on that first Easter morning so we trust that He is alive.  Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  When it comes to His resurrection, Jesus told Thomas that those who had not yet seen Him but still believed in His resurrection were blessed indeed (John 20:29). 
            If you are wondering about a simple definition for faith, the Bible offers you one in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Surety and certainty mark the definition of faith.  And that surety and certainty are anchored in God and not human efforts or achievements.  We are confident in God and His power to do all that He purposes to do.  Some people approach the future with anxiety, worry or even dread.  Yet, God’s people know that the best is yet to come.  Some day, we will enjoy eternity with Him and all that He has prepared for us.  By faith, Joshua led Israel to conquer the land God had chosen.  By faith, some fishermen dropped their nets and followed Jesus.  By faith, Saul reversed course on the road to Damascus and became Paul.  By faith, Abraham left his home and all that he had ever known to go to the place that the Lord had chosen for him to go.  By faith, God’s people have done and continue to do amazing things.  And today, by faith, we lean into the future and do what God has for us to do.  Let not your heart be troubled or faint, lean into the Lord and place your surety, certainty and faith in Him.  Have a wonderful Monday!