Faith…what is faith? It is believing in what you cannot see. According to Hebrews 11:1…it is the conviction and the certainty of unseen things…and without it, we cannot please God.
If there has ever been a time in my life that my faith has been tested, it is now. I am being forced to my knees and I’m finding out the reality of my faith. My faith is being put through the Refiner’s fire, and I pray what comes out is pure. In fact, I think the only way we can find out if our relationship with God is real…is through intense testing. Everyone who ever did anything significant for the Lord in the Bible was tested in the most extreme of all ways. So, while I am comforted that believers for all ages have suffered and endured by faith…the question is, “Will I?”
This isn’t about me being a pastor…or a seminarian…or a theologian…this is raw, this is real…this is about being a true, genuine follower of Christ. Do I trust God? And you know, when I think about the Christian life, I believe the essence of it comes down to faith. Does a person truly take God at His Word…do we believe what God has said and promised…and an even bigger question is, do we believe who God is?
For me, as I said, my faith is being put to the test. This isn’t something small either…it’s not like I’m asking God to help me believe Him for something trivial…this is big…this is huge…I asking God to help me believe that He really is in control of all things…that He really did carry my son into His arms…that everything in His Word is 100% true.
And guess what??? What I’m discovering is that God is everything He says He is…and since He is all He says He is, then I know He will do all He says He will do. Trusting God for what He does really comes back to trusting God for who He is. If you trust God…who He is…then you can take what He says He will do to the bank. If God is 100% true, then His promises are 100% true as well. Who God is, what He does, and what He promises are all inextricably tied together…but everything hinges on who God is!
Now, what I’m asking for…is for God to increase my faith, for that’s what it all comes down to. “God, help me to believe You and trust You more each day…that’s what I need the most. For YOU ARE GOD and there is no other!”
God is slowly bringing me along…walking with me through the valley of the shadow of death…at times, even carrying me. The emotional pain is deep and it’s hard to set my mind on things above every day…but I’m learning to do it…and most importantly, I’m learning what it means to TRULY trust God.
pastorjfreeman 