“Can I have the car, Dad?” “Sure, Son,” I replied, and with that I tossed him the keys. How many times we went through this little ritual, I cannot say, but when he’d ask, I’d give him not only the use of the car, but also means to start it. He had neither; I owned both. He asked in hope; I gave in love. Likely, you can relate as well, whether as the parent or as the son or daughter.
So it is with God—He gives us not only what we seek, but also the faith to receive it. In other words, faith itself is a gift from God. To the crowd astonished at the healing of the lame man, Peter said, “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed [the man].”1 Writing to the Philippians, Paul similarly taught, “It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ … to believe in him,”2 And to the Ephesians, this bold apostle explained we are saved by grace through faith—“this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God,”3 he emphasized. Salvation is a gift, grace is a gift, and faith is a gift. Apart from God, we owned none of these; alive in Christ, we have all of them.
Isn’t it ironic that, though faith would overcome our fears, we actually fret over our faith? We are tempted to think either that we have none or that we possess an insufficient amount; then succumbing to this deception, we condemn ourselves for our lack. Now if faith were something for us to create and replenish by our own means and in incessant supply, then our inner angst would be understandable, for entrusting our all to Him lies beyond our natural desire or ability. But the God who saves us from condemnation, He who gives us good gifts, this One who “is able do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”4—He has given us faith in whatever measure He has assigned.5 And whatever measure of faith He has assigned to each one of us, it is enough. For we ask in hope, and He gives in love.
Father, thank You for the measure of faith You have given me. It is priceless, and it is enough. Grace me to live and thrive in faith in You. In Christ I pray. Amen.
1 Acts 3:16
2 Philippians 1:29
3 Ephesians 2:8
4 Ephesians 3:20
5 Romans 12:3
Categories
Paul Nordman—Author 
One reply on “The Gift behind the Gift”
[…] lament not having more of it. Yet, faith is a gift from God, and as we saw in last week’s post, “The Gift behind the Gift,” He assigns each one of us a measure of it.1 This way we can neither despair nor boast over the size […]
LikeLike