What is Faith?

I hope 2022 is treating you well so far. It’s already been a challenging one for me, but I’m pressing on by the Grace of God. He is keeping me even in the midst of difficult times. My study of the bible is definitely helping me deal on a daily basis. I’m still on track with reading the bible and just started Exodus. So far, I’ve picked up so many details I was unaware of about the patriarchs and the timing of the books of the bible. For instance, it was approx. 400 years between Genesis and Exodus. Four hundred years or more, between God speaking to Jacob and then speaking to Moses, after the children of Israel had grown in such numbers to make the Egyptians uncomfortable, they took steps to kill the Israelite boys to stop the propagation, but God had other ideas and still the nation grew. That is how Moses ended up being raised as an Egyptian prince. What kind of faith and expectation must his mother have had to put Moses in a basket in the Nile when Pharaoh wanted him dead (Ex 2)? 

What is Faith? According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. What does that mean? When I researched the meaning, the one that really stuck with me was faith is the sense that gives us evidence of the invisible, spiritual world. For those of us who are Christians, our faith looks like confidence in Jesus and his ability to bring us through every circumstance of life even though we can’t see Him. And if we believe that, it means we will step out on God’s Word expecting Him to take care of us.  For example, when I applied for my current job, I had a conversation with the Lord. I didn’t want the job to even be offered to me, if it wasn’t in God’s will. I knew I couldn’t do this job on my own and that I would need His help. It drew me closer to Him. I had to trust Him more. Needless to say, I am in the job, but I still lean on His guidance and wisdom every day to do it. I don’t always get it right, but that’s usually when I listen to myself and not to Him.  

Faith is all about believing God for what He already said and trusting Him to bring if to fruition, even if you don’t get to see it….continuing to walk out what the Bible tells us to do. James put it best, faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Are you believing God for something and just waiting for Him to do it….without you doing your part? If so, that’s not faith. You are holding up your own blessing. God will not bring something to pass in the wrong timing. His timing is perfect, ours is not. If you are trusting Him for something, you need to get up and start walking that thing out as He directs.  

As I was reading about Moses this morning, he was so reluctant to go back to Egypt for a lot of reasons.  He was on the run as a murderer.  He had a speech impediment.  He didn’t feel worthy, etc. But he went because God told Him to. He trusted that God knew best, and he got moving. What are your excuses? What scares you? If you could do or have something on your own, you wouldn’t need faith.  

If God has called you, He has work for you that only He can do through you. He will be with you and He will use you to bring it to pass. It won’t be you in your own strength or knowledge or power. After all, our power is so very limited, even if we think it’s not. Trust God to do what He said. Take the first step and then the next. God will meet you where you are but He won’t do what you can do. Be obedient and move. You may be surprised about where He takes you.