“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:25
Faith can be a hard sell at times. Buying into the belief in something without evidence of support is justifiably impossible to the mind. Yet, beyond understanding, we believe in all sorts of things. We need no basis or proof of it’s value or existence.
There are many things I believe in and have faith will happen. These things warrant my faith because I’ve come to rely upon their consistency. Their loyal nature of repetition has allowed me to forget about whether or not they’ll deliver and I’ve turned it into more of an expectation. For instance, the sun has never failed me. Every day since my birth, and countless stories have been told of it behaving the same before my time, the sun has risen in the east and set in the west. Another is my car . . . it just turned over 80,000 miles this week. Yet, despite it’s wear I’m confident it will start this afternoon when I get back into it. Why? It’s proven to me time and time again it will.
But it’s not with these examples or many others like them that I find my belief exercised. Why? Well, mainly because with these particular events I have never seen them occur. I’ve only read about them — granted, I’ve heard their stories over and over again, but still I must ask myself, “to what degree do I actually believe these took place?” I would argue, many Christ followers today wrestle with this same question. Allow me to present a couple of the more popular.
Perhaps top on my list is the moment when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood in the center of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1-30). With the flames ordered by the king to be heated seven times their normal temperature even the kings soldiers were killed as they were throwing the three in the furnace. Now . . . why is this difficult for me? Here’s why . . . I’ve stood near a bonfire before — can’t really get that close to it. What my mind knows about flames says that it is impossible for man to live to talk the next day about what it’s like inside a massive flame.
Second on my list would be the division of the Red Sea as Moses led his people closer to the Promised Land (Exodus 14). Really? Water always takes the path of least resistance. Next time you have a bowl of water you try separating it into two halves so the bottom of the bowl between it remains dry. Good luck with that! The laws of water says that is impossible!
This may raise a question regarding my own faith in Christ, since in many similar ways there are miracles and moments of equal disbelief. But here is my point . . . it’s not that I don’t believe them, it’s that I do! It’s that belief that fuels my faith in the One who came to save me, deliver me from sin and restore me to my rightful place, seated by His side, at his throne . . . TODAY!
It’s through the belief in those extraordinary moments of life, witnessed not by my own eyes but believed through the consistency of the pure and holy nature of the One who lives in me that drives my faith further toward the cross!
So, I make my faith personal — watching, tasting and living in the arms of my Savior every day. I believe because I know — in both the things I can see and those I will never see. I believe because I know He is real and I have SEEN Him every day.
Lord Jesus, remind me of the simple truths of Your character! Remind me of your faithfulness that is evermore present in the small things because you have proven your faithfulness in the big things. I want to trust you in all things, I want my faith to be strengthened in believing your words, your promises, knowing full well You are the “same, yesterday, today and forever!”
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:3
by: Mark Cruver