“It’s not logical.” “Sometimes it will be that way”
A favorite quote from The Chosen and the invitation of Thomas.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith is a special gift from God. It is to know what it is that we hope for and to be sure of what we can not see by knowing what God’s will is for us. It is living with the Spirit and in a spiritual world. It is this gift of grace that allows us to exist in two worlds at the same time. It is the bridge to a new life in Christ. Yet faith must be more than just a word, it must drive our life.
Faith is going where God leads, period. We live, our soul lives now, in the tension between two worlds. The world that we see and live physically in and the spiritual world that we can not see or touch yet surrounds us at all times and influences the world around us for good and/or bad. We are all created with a spiritual appetite, a desire to live in the unseen spiritual world, God’s realm. That desire is fueled by the gift of faith that God has given us.
Faith is also work, God’s work and ours. He gave it, we exercise it. Faith is the bridge between the two worlds. It is a bridge that allows us to go where we cannot see, to do what may not seem logical in the physical world. God invites us to travel on this bridge. We may travel across like it is a suspended foot bridge with wobbly steps that are unsure. It may even seem to be invisible at times – hidden like the bridge in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Or, we may travel across it like it is a solid super highway. The type and transformation of the bridge is the evidence of our faith. The “bridge’ is always present and solid, it’s a matter of how we see it. It is God’s blessing on our life, as we exercise our faith.
Yet even knowing this, I spend too much time shakily making my way through life on the foot bridge or finding it hard to see. I may at times travel on the highway, but not like I should. The challenge on the bridge is looking at the support under my feet that I can feel, instead of looking ahead at what I can not see. Faith is the confidence to take that next step knowing that my hope lies in Christ.
Satan wants me to focus on the physical things, both the good things that call to me and the fearful things that I can’t take my eyes off of. Satan knows that the more I look down, the greater potential that I may fall for the lure of what I can see or be paralyzed by the fears beside me. Looking down at what I know or paralyzed by fear, either way, I stop moving forward and my faith stops growing.
Faith calls me to search for God’s will and to follow it. Keep your eyes up and on Jesus not the bridge or world below. Faith calls you to do what may not seem logical, what may not make the most sense. If we only follow what we can see and know and do what we have always done, then that is not faith but knowledge and experience. It is this unseen world that exists right in front of me that offers me hope and a more stable walk. It is faith in the unseen that drives me to stay in prayer. It is when I decide to exercise my faith in the unseen and look ahead and live life in the unseen that the bridge begins to transform.
The Hebrews passage above is the opening statement to the chapter that is widely regarded as the bible’s hall of faith. The essence of faith is (when prompted by the will of the Father, explained by the love of the Son and spoken by the Spirit) the bridge that allows us to take that step into the unknown, the unseen and what appears to be illogical to follow the will of God. That step taken in faith, then allows the blessings of God to flow into our life and the power of God then explodes in grace around us.
Can you give the best of what you have as a sacrifice? Abel did. Would you build a boat in the middle of the dessert? Noah did. Would you go to a strange land, leave your house and go because God asked? Abraham did. Do you want to provide for your children’s future security? Show them faith as Jacob did. Ready to lead a revolution, are you outgoing and well-spoken? No, neither was Moses. Can a city be destroyed by marching around it? Jericho was. Can you survive lions? Daniel did. Can you step into the storm? Peter did. Can you do ‘the impossible’? Jesus says yes.
This is the power of faith, the power of living in the unseen and believing in the illogical and trusting in the impossible when living a life directed by God himself. It is faith that allows the unseen spiritual world to reshape the physical world around us. Amen.
“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” John 14:12
I hang on to faith .It is all I know until the exercise of that Faith becomes knowledge to the will of My GOD and I put that will into action
Amen to that!! Hang on and practice faith now so when it’s really needed, it just comes out
I loved this message. Stepping out in faith is something I struggle with and I know many others do too. Your message really spoke to the fact that we need to listen and obey, knowing that God will provide whatever we lack. Thank you!
When we can’t see, He does – clearly. When it’s too dark for us to see with our eyes, His Light (the Light of the world) shines light on our eyes of faith