Since my days in the USAF, I’ve had a live of languages. To listen to a foreign language and connect words with your own is neat.
When you hear the words faith and belief, they can almost seem interchangeable. Some might even think of them as identical twins. However, as you begin to dig a little deeper, you will discover that faith and belief are more like cousins than identical twins. While they are related, they are not the same.
In the Hebrew language, the concepts of “belief,” “trust,” and “faith” are intricately connected through the shared root word:
- Belief = EMONA
- Trust = EMON
- Faith = EMONA
That root is also where the word “amen” comes from. This is why when you end a prayer, you end it with “amen,” “I trust.”
The Biblical definition of faith – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The dictionary definition of faith – Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
As you can see from both definitions, faith has to do with confidence. But it doesn’t stop there. Faith in its truest from is when you have confidence in God to the point that it causes you to act, which reinforces our initial point about faith.
Webster’s says ‘Amen’ is used to express solemn ratification (as of an expression of faith) or hearty approval (as of an assertion).
While faith and belief are tied together, amen is their ratification in the soul.
When we kneel to receive the Eucharist upon our tongue, the priest says, “the Body of Christ”, we respond “amen.” This isn’t just a ritual or a simple word, this is a full out declaration of our absolute knowledge that this Bread we receive is truly and fully Jesus Christ – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. We are saying EMONA (I believe), EMONA (I have faith), EMON (I trust) this Eucharist is Jesus. Amen!
Our prayers end with an ‘amen’. We say the Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary and Glory Be, all ending with our ‘amen.’ Not just a period or word to say, “I’m done now.” But, as that exclamation and ‘heart approval’ of what we’ve just declared.
Reading, hearing and even seeing don’t lead to trust and true faith in God. Believe me, read my book “I Knew His Voice” to see the truth of this. It is in declaring our ‘amen’ with our actions that we come to see God as God
Next time you say amen, know it is your stamp of fact upon your soul.
ALLELUIA!
(That’s a big word for another day)